It's a Wonderful Life
by Reba-Brockfan
Summary: Brock gets the chance to see what Reba's life would be like if they had never met in 1981. He wants to find out just what Reba's destiny truly is. John D is Brock's angel guide on this journey. What will decisions will Brock make for his future?
1. Introducing Reba McKinney

**Title: It's a Wonderful Life**

**Chapter 1: Introducing Reba McKinney**

**Time:** **December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie****.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

**Now on with the story- **

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously in chapter seven of Reba Nell Got Married- Reba got up and went back to her bedroom. Brock rested on his elbows in bed. "Hey, Terry!" he called. Angel Terry appeared. "How do I know if I'm doin' the right thing by Reba? How do I know if she's supposed to be with Mike or not?"

"I can show you. Come on, I'll take you to see what life would be like if you and Reba had never met."

"Is that so you can get your wings?" Brock teased.

Another angel appeared in the room also. A tall man with white hair and eyes that looked just like Brock's deep blue ones walked up to Brock's bed. "He's doin' you a favor. Quit bustin' his chops over it. I'm gonna take you on this little journey myself. You gonna bust my chops, too?"

"No, sir," Brock said humbly.

"She's still too good for ya. You're still a bum."

"I know that, but I'm tryin' to change."

"I've seen that. That's why I chose to accompany you on this trip. I want to help you learn somethin' before it's too late. That's the mistake I made with your mother. You've got to do everythin' you can to hold onto the love of a good woman."

"Thanks, John D."

"I'd like it if you'd start callin' me Dad again. How about I make you a little deal? If I help you get Reba back, then you have to start callin' me Dad. That includes when you talk about me to Reba, the kids, or your mother."

Brock smiled. "You got yourself a deal." Brock knew that if he could convince John D that he had changed and that he could be a better husband and father, then it wouldn't be so hard to convince Reba. John D was always much harder on him and less forgiving of him than Reba was.

Brock was in for the ride of his life. He just entered into a deal with his father to help him win Reba back. He couldn't wait to take this trip and find out what Reba's life would be like if they'd never met. She was always so sure that she'd end up with Mike. Brock was eager to find out if that was the case. What was Reba's future like without him in it? What did his life end up like without her in it? He couldn't wait to discover what Reba's destiny truly was. Was she happier or better off without him? He couldn't wait to find out the answers to questions that had been plaguing him for the past twenty-five years...

What will happen now? What is Reba's life like in 2008 without Brock? What is Brock's life like without Reba? Did Reba end up with Mike? Will Brock get the courage to keep fighting for his future with Reba or will he give up and let her have a life with Mike?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

The answers to these questions will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the first installment of: It's a Wonderful Life.

Now on with our next chapter-  
>Terry disappeared from view. It was clear that he stepped aside for this assignment. He left matters up to father and son to work out together. They were standing in a spacious house. Brock recognized it as the spot where Reba chosen to live on her family's land. There was a lot of commotion happening in the house.<p>

"Kyra, I have to drop you off at your father's place soon before I start my shift. Jake, your dad will be here to pick you up soon. You have basketball practice in an hour," Reba called, hoping to prompt them into moving a little faster.

"Elizabeth, your dad is coming in from the airport to pick you up in a couple of hours. You need to be ready soon. I have to go to work and Grandpa will be picking you and Aunt Kyra up soon." Cheyenne yelled to her own daughter. Brock was surprised to see that Cheyenne had red hair like Reba. She was the same old Cheyenne just with red hair.

The scene with the commotion from the kids reminded Brock of the opening scene from the movie, Home Alone. The chaos increased.

Paige arrived, bringing a familiar looking young man with her. He was about six feet tall with dirty blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes. Brock didn't know why, but he felt like he knew the guy from somewhere. "Hey, Ma. Dad couldn't make it so he sent me to pick Jake up. I talked to Mike and he wanted me to pick up Elizabeth and Kyra, too."

"You know how much your father hates to be called by his first name. Can't you try to call him Dad?" Reba said, addressing the issue with him for the millionth time.

"I already have a father. He's the one I call Dad. Mike is more like a stepfather. He wasn't even around for half of my life."

"Still he is your father, whether you like it or not. There is a bond there just like with Kyra. You could try callin' him Pop or Sir or somethin' like that. Please try for me. Your father has a buddy comin' into town that he hasn't seen in years. We need to try to act like a nice normal family. Please for me."

"A nice normal family? In what normal families do the kids have mixed up divorced parents? You and Mike couldn't make it work so you ended up with Dad. You couldn't make it work with Dad so you ended up with Mike. Things with you and Mike didn't work out so now you're back with Dad. That just about covers it."

"I'm not with Dad. It's complicated."

"You're datin' each other and spendin' the night at each other's houses sometimes. What would you call it? You're setting a great example for Cheyenne because she's out doin' the same thin'."

"Shut up, John. Like you would even begin to understand what it is like to be married, divorced, and still have to share a child with someone," Cheyenne shouted at him.

"Cheyenne, what is goin' on with you?"

"Nothin'. Van is comin' into town to pick up Elizabeth. That's all."

"Like a marriage would work out when you're seventeen and pregnant by a guy that you met on vacation. Van's comin' into town to hookup with Elizabeth's mother. That's the truth. Ten bucks says that Dad ends up takin' care of Elizabeth tonight instead."

"I'd call it none of your business. I'm so angry with your dad right now. He promised that he'd pick Jake up for practice today."

Reba pulled out a cell phone from her pocket, went through her contacts, and sent a call to the familiar number. Brock only heard one side of the conversation.

-"Hey, Max. It's Reba. You promised to get Jake today for his basketball practice. He's supposed to stay the night at your house tonight. You're his father. Act like it."

-"I don't have time for this. I needed help today with the kids. I have to get to work. Helping out is the least that you can do."

-"Yeah, I'm mad. Don't count on anything from me for awhile, okay. John and Cheyenne are standing right here. John is tellin' me all about what he knows. I prefer havin' my private life as private. The rule was that no one was supposed to know. You broke that rule so I need time to figure things out. Call me later." Reba ended the call.

"I didn't mean to start a fight with you two. I actually like having parents who are together and get along."

Reba put her hand on her son's shoulder reassuringly. "It's not your fault. We keep trying to fix somethin' that didn't work out in the first place. I'm not sorry though because I have you, Cheyenne, and Jake. Your dad worked hard to keep us together as a family. He loves Kyra like his own. There's somethin' in me that's broken."

"Because of Meemaw and Grandpa?"

"Yeah, that's part of it. You are a really great kid, you know that?"

"You tell me all the time, so yeah."

"Such a smart mouth."

"I wonder where I get it from."

"John McKinney Thornton!" his mother warned.

He stood there, smirking at her and then he walked over to her, pulling her into a hug. "I love ya, Ma."

"So that's John?" Brock asked John D.

"Yep, Reba raised a fine boy there."

"So, who's the father? Come on, I've got to know."

"Like the lady said, it's complicated. I'll let Reba tell ya later."

"I get to talk to Reba? But why would she tell me somethin' like that? Aren't we strangers?"

"It's time that you and Reba met officially."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll figure that out sooner or later, Brock."

Brock couldn't wait to find out more. He was so excited to get to meet Reba. He wanted to know all about her and her new life. Right now, he was just thrilled that Reba wasn't datin' anyone serious right now. She wasn't with Mike anymore and she wasn't really with Max so he hoped that the field was clear for him to try to win her heart. He just wanted to be a part of her life. He missed her every minute that they weren't together. He missed their closeness and friendship. He stopped to think about his own life. How did his life turn out in this alternate reality? He still had so many questions...

What will happen now? What is Reba's life like in 2008 in the alternate reality? What is Brock's life like without Reba? What was Reba's relationship with Mike? What was her relationship with Max? Will Brock get the courage to keep fighting for his future with Reba or will he give up and let her have a life that makes her happier with someone else?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

**Okay, so here's the thing. I got a story idea that just wouldn't let go of me. So I am temporarily stopping Reba Nell Got Married for this new one. I hope that you like it. It's almost Christmas and I wanted to write something for Christmas for my story series, "Love Again". This is a continuation story for that series. It doesn't change the future because it is an alternate reality, just a glimpse. It's supposed to help Brock makes the decision about whether or not to keep fighting for Reba. I will not be writing for Deceived, Drop Dead Hero, or Reba Nell Got Married until It's A Wonderful Life is finished. Don't worry. It's not a long story. I'll be back to writing the others soon.**

**Update on characters-I updated Cheyenne to have red hair since Joanna Garcia has red hair now. It fit in with the story since Cheyenne is not Brock's child. Cheyenne and Van were once married, but are now divorced because their teen marriage didn't work out. Cheyenne didn't grow up in a stable loving home with two loving parents. Reba's family is a lot more blended and dysfunctional in this story. Kyra and Jake look the same as they did in the TV show. Just to be clear in this story, Max is supposed to be Cheyenne and Jake's father. Mike is supposed to be John and Kyra's father. It's a puzzle to figure out, but all will be revealed in time. Have fun making predictions with this one!**

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**Chatte578**

**Reba the country queen**

**Merylandrebafan**

**Dr. Michaela Quinn**

**WJC1985**

**nellieforbush**

**LittleMissCheerios**

**RMandMSFan**

**JericaMMADfan**

**RebaJunkie**

**TouchedbyanAngelFan**

**Dimples99**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon.**

**.net/~rebabrockfan**

**Reba-Brockfan— on FF**

**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**

Disclaimer: I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.


	2. Don't I know you from somewhere?

**Title: It's a Wonderful Life**

**Chapter 2: Don't I know you from somewhere?**

**Time:** **December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie****.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

**Now on with the story- **

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- "So that's John?" Brock asked John D.

"Yep, Reba raised a fine boy there."

"So, who's the father? Come on, I've got to know."

"Like the lady said, it's complicated. I'll let Reba tell ya later."

"I get to talk to Reba? But why would she tell me somethin' like that? Aren't we strangers?"

"It's time that you and Reba met officially."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll figure that out sooner or later, Brock."

Brock couldn't wait to find out more. He was so excited to get to meet Reba. He wanted to know all about her and her new life. Right now, he was just thrilled that Reba wasn't datin' anyone serious right now. She wasn't with Mike anymore and she wasn't really with Max so he hoped that the field was clear for him to try to win her heart. He just wanted to be a part of her life. He missed her every minute that they weren't together. He missed their closeness and friendship. He stopped to think about his own life. How did his life turn out in this alternate reality? He still had so many questions...

What will happen now? What is Reba's life like in 2008 in the alternate reality? What is Brock's life like without Reba? What was Reba's relationship with Mike? What was her relationship with Max? Will Brock get the courage to keep fighting for his future with Reba or will he give up and let her have a life that makes her happier with someone else?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

The answers to these questions will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of It's a Wonderful Life.

Now on with our next chapter-  
>Reba was standing behind the bar, serving drinks at Holliway's. Unfortunately, she was forced to talk to Barbra Jean Booker. It was important to Mike for Reba to act civil to his girlfriend. Reba cringed at the thought. This was the homewrecker who broke up their marriage. She then left Mike and moved on with someone else. Just as Reba and Mike were repairing their fractured relationship, Barbra Jean reappeared with her child in tow. Reba was astonished at the woman's nerve. She ripped Reba's family apart, walked away, and then came back to do further harm.<p>

Reba's children were thrilled at this latest development because they hoped that it would bring Reba and Max towards reconciliation again. Max was always handy to come in and pick up the pieces when Reba was hurting. He still loved her, but she wasn't sure if she ever truly loved him with her whole heart. She wondered if it was even possible for her to actually give a man that type of love. She tried to give Mike that type of love and it didn't end well. She and Mike had an amicable relationship now. They were always great friends and they shared two children together. Reba inwardly cringed at how poorly John and Kyra sometimes treated their father.

They frequently chose Max over Mike. Reba blamed herself for allowing herself to be married to Max when they were born and allowing Max to raise them as their father until their eventual divorce. She was at least grateful that Kyra had a better relationship with her biological father than John did. It was a small consolation because it gave her further reason to have to wear her polite mask. Kyra actually liked her father's girlfriend. Reba was desperately trying to help Kyra forge into a father-daughter relationship with Mike so it would be hypocritical of her to be negative towards Mike and his choices right now. Her only choice was to stand there and carry on this ridiculous conversation with this Barbie doll tramp. Why did she have to come back to Oklahoma? Mike ran into her in Tulsa when she moved back to take a job as a weather girl at the KOKI Fox23 television station.

She despised her ex-husband's taste in women. She was the only woman that Mike had ever dated that wasn't a big haired brainless blonde. First, Kim Campbell came between them and then there was Barbra Jean Booker or BJ, as she insisted on being called. Reba sometimes despised herself for having any feelings left for Mike at all. It was a habit that was hard to break. She'd loved him for a long, long time. She sometimes wondered if they could've made it work. She'd wondered if they could've worked out if they hadn't lost the baby or if she hadn't gotten pregnant the last time.

She dismissed those treacherous thoughts that snuck up on her. Of course, she wanted their baby. She wanted so much to have a child that they could raise together to bind their newly blended family together and straighten Mike's paternal ties with John and Kyra. Reba forced back the tears that threatened to fall. She would not cry in front of her rival. She would not show weakness.

"As I was saying, you'll love the guy that Mike and I are settin' you up with tonight," Barbra Jean explained.

Obviously, Reba had missed something. "What guy? BJ, what are ya talkin' about?"

"My ex-husband, Brock. He's your blind date tonight."

"BJ, are you crazy? Of course, you're crazy. You own over 700 Beanie Babies."

Barbra Jean smiled. "Reba, you're so silly. I owe over 800 Beanie Babies and that doesn't make me crazy. That's an Oklahoma state record."

Reba flashed her condescending smile. "My mistake. Why would I want to go out on a blind date with your ex-husband? How about this? I'll go out on a date with my ex-husband and you can go out on a date with your ex-husband." Reba's voice was dripping with sarcasm, but she secretly hoped that BJ would be dumb enough to accept that offer.

"No way! Reba, you're so funny. I told the kids that you'd come up with something funny like that."

"And what did the kids say about this idea of yours?"

"Kyra thought that it was a great idea!"

"And Kyra's somewhere right now laughin' at my expense," Reba thought to herself. "What about John? I really don't want to upset our children," she said to BJ.

"Our children are fine with it."

"They are not our children. They are mine and Mike's. I like to get their approval before I date anybody."

"Is that because you're seein' Max?"

"Where would you get an idea like that?"

"I heard the kids talkin' about it. By the way, I heard that Max went out on a date with Kim Campbell two weeks ago."

"Thanks for the tip."

"Anytime, buddy. You and I are just gonna be best friends before long."

"Barbra Jean."

"Yeah, Reba?"

"Back away before I slap the blonde right off of ya."

Barbra Jean just laughed. "Yeah, sure, Reba. You're hilarious."

Reba flashed her fake smile again and stormed off into the office to talk to Mike. "You've got to get rid of that woman. She's drivin' me nuts."

"That's too bad because she's a part of my life now. Come on, Reba. She's not that bad once you get to know her."

"She's crazy enough to think that I'll go out on a blind date with her ex-husband tonight."

"That's because you agreed to last week."

"No, I didn't. I just heard about this today."

"No, I talked to ya about this last week. Remember I told you that my buddy, Brock was comin' into town and I asked you if you'd take him out and show him around. You agreed. You said that you'd do it as a favor to me."

Reba chuckled. "You mean to tell me that your old buddy, Brock from Texas is Barbra Jean's ex-husband?'

"And Henry's father."

Reba laughed even harder. "This is funny. Barbra Jean's ex-husband, the guy that she left you for, is your old buddy, Brock? This is too funny. That woman is dumber than a ten pound sack of stupid. And she wants to set me up with him? Is she outta her mind?"

"Watch it, Reba. She doesn't mean any harm."

Reba crossed her arms in front of her. "Really? Did she mean any harm when I caught you two makin' out in the upstairs apartment? How about when John walked in and caught you red-handed in the act with her in the office? And you wonder why he's hostile towards you."

Mike started to rub his temples. "Reba, will ya or won't ya do me this favor?" he asked gently with pain in his voice from his obvious migraine headache.

Reba replaced his fingers with hers and gently rubbed his temples for him. Mike began to relax. "You're lucky that we're life-long best friends," she commented.

"What would I ever do without you? You're the queen of exes. You're a life-saver. Don't worry. Just relax and have fun. Brock's a great guy. I've told you about him before."

"I remember. You owe me one, Jack. I mean it!"

Mike smiled at the use of the familiar nickname. She hadn't called him that in awhile. "I know, Sal. You're the best."

"Try to remember that. I'm gonna clock out early and get ready for my date. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"I'll pick up Jake from basketball practice. He can hang out here with me and John until Max comes by to pick him up. Cheyenne will be by with Elizabeth soon. She's gonna stay here and play with Terry and Henry for awhile. Max is supposed to take her back to his house, too. I hear that Cheyenne has a date with Van tonight."

Reba groaned. "Perfect. I don't wanna hear anything else or I'm gonna start gettin' a migraine myself. I'll see ya later."

Reba was at her house later, getting ready for her date. Cheyenne was also getting ready for her date with Van. "I'm so excited for you!" Cheyenne squealed.

"I'm goin' out with BJ's ex-husband on Mike's insistence that I cooperate. I'm in for a fun evening," Reba deadpanned.

"Come on, it's a blind date. He could be hot, Mom. He's BJ's ex-husband, which means that at some point she found him desirable. Right now, she finds Mike desirable. Maybe you and Barbra Jean share the same taste in men."

"Shoot me now. Just the thought of sharing the same taste in men as Barbra Jean is disgusting. Wait, I think I threw up a little bit in my mouth."

"Okay, Ma. Relax. I'm just saying that you've always found Mike attractive and he's her type, too. Maybe you might be attracted to this guy, Brock too."

"Remind me again why I should take advice on my love life from you. Aren't you goin' out on a date with your ex-husband? You two couldn't make your relationship despite two previous attempts. What makes you think that you can make it work now?"

"Because the sex is even better than it was before. That part is working really well this time."

Reba groaned. "Ugh, Cheyenne. I do not wanna hear about that. I don't wanna hear about your sex life. Understand?"

"What's the matter, Ma? We can talk about that kind of thing. I'm a grown woman. Aunt Paige is havin' an affair with Michael while datin' Greg and she's twenty-five years old. I know that you've discussed sex with her. John is twenty-four and I know that he's had sex before. I've been havin' sex since I was seventeen. The only man that I've ever slept with is Van. And I'm pretty sure that even Kyra's had sex. After all, she's eighteen. Then there's you, you're forty-two and I know that you're still havin' sex with Dad and you're not married to him either. Spare me the lecture on premarital sex."

"Cheyenne, what your father and I do is private and not up for discussion, especially with our child."

"Ooh, I knew it! I was only speculating about that. John did tell me about it last week, but I wasn't sure if it was true. It's true. You're still sleepin' with Dad."

"Cheyenne, it doesn't mean anything. We're not back together. It happened because I'm lonely and he and I still care about each other. I don't go around havin' sex with just anybody. The truth is that I still have feelings for Mike. Your father knows that."

Cheyenne put her arm around her mother. "You've got to get over that right now. That ship has sailed. Mike's with BJ now."

"Barbra Jean could always drown in a giant vat of Crisco oil," Reba said, smiling gleefully at the thought.

"Mom!"

"Well, Mama's got a darkside."

"I'll say. Do ya know what might make you feel better? Let's play Mirror, Mirror."

"We haven't played that game since you were younger. Okay, Cheyenne. Let's havin' some fun with this one," Reba looked into the mirror. "Mirror, mirror on the wall. Look at our dreams, big and small. Show us Cheyenne's dream man. Who's her soul mate supposed to be? Please try if you can."

"Ooh, I like this one. Okay, Mirror. Show us what you got." An image of Van Montgomery appeared in the mirror. Cheyenne's hands flew to her mouth in surprise. The mirror had never shown them that before. "I knew it. I knew it. I'm right, Mom. See? Your turn." Cheyenne's face lit up with excitement.

Reba looked into the mirror again. "Mirror, mirror on the wall. Look at our dreams, big and small. Show us my dream man. Who's my soul mate supposed to be? Please try if you can." It was Reba's turn to be surprised. The mirror revealed a tall man with golden blonde hair, luminous blue eyes, and a tan complexion. Reba had never seen a man like this before in any premonition. She smiled at the thought of having such a good looking man in her future. Her thoughts were interrupted by Cheyenne.

"Looks like you've got a new type, Mom. This guy doesn't look anything like Dad or Mike." Cheyenne remarked, playfully teasing her mother.

Reba couldn't take her eyes off the image in the mirror. Her cheeks turned red as she became embarrassed of the x-rated things that came to mind as she looked at the mirror in front of Cheyenne. She couldn't help it.

"Come on, Ma. It's time to finish gettin' ready for our dates." Cheyenne said as she steered her mother away from the mirror.

A hour and a half later, Reba was standin' in Holliway's again. She was nervous and Barbra Jean kept tryin' to make conversation with her. Jake was in the upstairs apartment with Kyra and Josh while the three babysat for Henry, little Terry, and Elizabeth until Max arrived to pick them up. Josh agreed to help BJ and Mike out for the night by babysitting for little Terry and Henry while the others went to Max's house.

John walked over to where Cheyenne was standing near Barbra Jean and their mother. He pulled out a box of condoms. "Better safe than sorry," he said, smirking at her.

"John, don't tease your sister like that."

"What's the matter, Ma? Do you need some yourself for tonight?" John teased.

Barbra Jean oblivious to the gentle natured teasing in the McKinney-Thornton-Holliway clan turned to Reba and added, "Do you need some because I've got some in my purse?"

"No, BJ. I don't. But thanks anyway." Reba shuddered at the idea of Barbra Jean using the condoms in her purse with Mike. Barbra Jean having sex with Mike was not an image that Reba wanted to keep in her head. Reba turned to glare at her son. John stood there with a big grin on his face.

Just then, a tall man about six feet, one inch tall with golden blonde wavy hair and intoxicating blue eyes walked into the bar. He was wearing a white cotton shirt, a blue-gray silk tie, white sharkskin pants, and white dress shoes. "Hey, Ma. That's the guy from the mirror," Cheyenne remarked.

Reba stood there, motionless. Mike greeted the man with a hearty handshake and a hug. Barbra Jean greeted him nervously. Mike brought the man over to meet Reba. "Reba, this is my buddy, Brock Hart. Brock, this is my ex-wife, Reba."

Brock was so thrilled to be face to face with Reba. He found it ironic that she was wearing the same clothing from their June date back in his reality. She was wearing the same Indian/Gypsy dress. The square-cut, strapless bodice was made of lavender silk and the three tiered skirt was fashioned of row upon row of different bands of silk ranging in color from lavender to mauve to palest pink. A huge black chiffon rose with lavender and gold center was nestled at the waist. She also had on a pair of high-heeled, strappy black sandals to match the dress.

Brock handed Reba a large assortment of pastel and hot pink roses and peach toned spray roses. Nervously, she moistened her dry lips. He strolled forward and extended his hand in a friendly greeting. She met the smile and the hand that was offered. His smile sent her pulse racing. Her smile was eager and alive with delight. Her eyes brightened with pleasure. He felt as if he had been transported back to the first time that they met before in his version of 1981.

Her alabaster face had a musk-rose flush on her cheekbones. He drank in the sight of her. Her bright copper hair gleamed with shadows of rich red, which hung in long graceful curves over her shoulders. Wispy bangs fell across her forehead. He was momentarily speechless as he looked at her gentle, overwhelming beauty. While Brock held his gaze on Reba, Reba couldn't help but take in the sight of Brock. There was a glint of humor in his eyes.

Reba saw something else in his eyes that she couldn't quite identify. He stood there, devilishly handsome. She took in his tempting, attractive male physique. His smile was wide, his teeth strikingly white in his tanned face. He had thick goldenrod hair. She took in the tantalizing smell of his musk-scented cologne. Lightly, he fingered a loose tendril of hair on her cheek.

"Hi. They're lovely. Thank you, Brock." Reba said softly. She tried to find her voice to begin talking again before she looked as foolish as she felt. "You look familiar. Don't I know you from somewhere?" Reba began again nervously.

Mike looked at her in surprise. "Honey, I know that it's been years, but Brock was at our wedding."

"I think that I would've remembered if he was at our wedding. Everyone in town came to our wedding," Reba responded.

"Not that wedding, Sal. The one in Vegas."

Brock grinned at that information. John D had said that he'd figure things out sooner or later. He wondered if the events in 1983 in Vegas from this reality happened the same way that they happened in his reality back then. He was still figuring out bits and pieces about his new life in this reality. He still had a lot of questions, but things looked very promising so far...

What will happen now? What will happen on Reba's date with Brock? What is Brock's life in this other reality? What will Max's reaction be when he sees Reba with Brock? How much longer will she keep seeing Max? Will Brock get the chance to win Reba's heart again in this other reality or will he fail and wind up back in his reality alone?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

**I'm so bummed out about Lifetime TV changing their TV schedule. They dropped their Reba marathon from their Friday night schedule. I loved watching that. Even if I missed one episode, I was about to watch it again. The marathon ran from 7-10 and then it was changed to 9-12 and re-ran from 12-3 a.m. It was great! I loved watching it all the way through. As a Reba superfan of the show, I loved watching it all the way through so I would watch each episode twice. I missed one episode of Working Class so I could watch the Reba marathon back in March. Now I feel guilty because they're both gone. I'll have to substitute my ritual by watching episodes on YouTube or on DVD. I love watching because it helps spur my imagination for writing.**

**There are some websites advertising Working Class on DVD. I am wondering if this DVD comes with extras because the official boxset is expensive. iOffer has advertised the series on DVD-custom made, no artwork for $15.00 with free shipping. At least, this seller is honest about it. I checked out Walmart and Amazon with no success so I have to wonder if the boxset is official or not.**

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**Chatte578**

**Reba the country queen**

**Merylandrebafan**

**Dr. Michaela Quinn**

**WJC1985**

**nellieforbush**

**LittleMissCheerios**

**RMandMSFan**

**JericaMMADfan**

**RebaJunkie**

**TouchedbyanAngelFan**

**Dimples99**

**Lady Isabelle Black**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon.**

**.net/~rebabrockfan**

**Reba-Brockfan— on FF**

**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**

Disclaimer: I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.


	3. Meeting the family

**Title: It's a Wonderful Life**

**Chapter 3: Meeting the family**

**Time:** **December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie****.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

**Now on with the story- **

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- Reba stood there, motionless. Mike greeted the man with a hearty handshake and a hug. Barbra Jean greeted him nervously. Mike brought the man over to meet Reba. "Reba, this is my buddy, Brock Hart. Brock, this is my ex-wife, Reba."

Brock was so thrilled to be face to face with Reba. He found it ironic that she was wearing the same clothing from their June date back in his reality. She was wearing the same Indian/Gypsy dress. The square-cut, strapless bodice was made of lavender silk and the three tiered skirt was fashioned of row upon row of different bands of silk ranging in color from lavender to mauve to palest pink. A huge black chiffon rose with lavender and gold center was nestled at the waist. She also had on a pair of high-heeled, strappy black sandals to match the dress.

Brock handed Reba a large assortment of pastel and hot pink roses and peach toned spray roses. Nervously, she moistened her dry lips. He strolled forward and extended his hand in a friendly greeting. She met the smile and the hand that was offered. His smile sent her pulse racing. Her smile was eager and alive with delight. Her eyes brightened with pleasure. He felt as if he had been transported back to the first time that they met before in his version of 1981.

Her alabaster face had a musk-rose flush on her cheekbones. He drank in the sight of her. Her bright copper hair gleamed with shadows of rich red, which hung in long graceful curves over her shoulders. Wispy bangs fell across her forehead. He was momentarily speechless as he looked at her gentle, overwhelming beauty. While Brock held his gaze on Reba, Reba couldn't help but take in the sight of Brock. There was a glint of humor in his eyes.

Reba saw something else in his eyes that she couldn't quite identify. He stood there, devilishly handsome. She took in his tempting, attractive male physique. His smile was wide, his teeth strikingly white in his tanned face. He had thick goldenrod hair. She took in the tantalizing smell of his musk-scented cologne. Lightly, he fingered a loose tendril of hair on her cheek.

"Hi. They're lovely. Thank you, Brock." Reba said softly. She tried to find her voice to begin talking again before she looked as foolish as she felt. "You look familiar. Don't I know you from somewhere?" Reba began again nervously.

Mike looked at her in surprise. "Honey, I know that it's been years, but Brock was at our wedding."

"I think that I would've remembered if he was at our wedding. Everyone in town came to our wedding," Reba responded.

"Not that wedding, Sal. The one in Vegas."

Brock grinned at that information. John D had said that he'd figure things out sooner or later. He wondered if the events in 1983 in Vegas from this reality happened the same way that they happened in his reality back then. He was still figuring out bits and pieces about his new life in this reality. He still had a lot of questions, but things looked very promising so far...

What will happen now? What will happen on Reba's date with Brock? What is Brock's life in this other reality? What will Max's reaction be when he sees Reba with Brock? How much longer will she keep seeing Max? Will Brock get the chance to win Reba's heart again in this other reality or will he fail and wind up back in his reality alone?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

The answers to these questions will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of It's a Wonderful Life.

Now on with our next chapter-  
>"Oh, you were with us in Vegas?" Reba asked nervously, setting the bouquet beside her on the bar counter.<p>

"Not exactly. I took a late flight from Dallas so I missed all of the pre-wedding festivities."

"Well, that was definitely the highlight of the trip. If you remember, it went downhill from there."

Brock nodded. Mike protested. "Hey, despite how it ended, that was a really great time for us. We were really happy."

Reba felt her temper flare. "I got pregnant and left at the altar. Not exactly the highlight of my life."

"We did eventually have a wedding, a pretty great one plus two great kids together. I wouldn't exactly call that a failure."

"No, but it did lead to some interesting life lessons along the way. I would've hoped that we'd learned something about life and marriage when the homewrecker came along."

Barbra Jean overheard the comment. "Is she callin' me "the homewrecker" again?"

"If the shoe fits, BJ. We had spent a lifetime together and then you came along."

"Really, Reba? I thought that the first sign of trouble was when you married another man and passed the kid off as his."

Reba leaped towards Barbra Jean to strike out against her comment. Mike and Brock flew into action. Mike wrapped his arms around Barbra Jean and pulled her away from Reba's wrath. Brock also wrapped his arms around Reba's waist to restrain her from taking action against BJ. It was a situation that Brock was all too familiar with in his reality. Unfortunately for Reba, her children witnessed that little scene. Max came walking into the bar with Van and the children rushed over to tell him about what happened.

"Dad, you should've seen Mom. She almost clobbered BJ. It was so cool!" Jake gushed.

Max was instantly filled with concern for Reba. "Reba honey, are you okay?" Reba was filled with guilt when she saw Max looking at her so tenderly.

"Yes, I'm fine. I let the little tramp get to me, that's all. It was stupid. The mo-ron let her run her mouth off at me," Reba explained, as if it weren't any big deal.

Max decided to introduce himself to the newcomer. "Hi, I'm Max Thornton. I'm Reba's ex-husband and these are our children. Would you stay with her for a minute? I'll be right back."

Max went over to the bar counter to get Reba a glass of wine. He yelled at Mike for allowing Reba to get so upset. He was very worried about her high blood pressure. He brought the wine over to Reba. "Here, this should ease your nerves. I can't believe that jerk let this happen. He knows that you have high blood pressure. I'm gonna talk to the kids. I promise that I'll get them out of here as soon as I can so you can enjoy your evening. I brought Van over to see Cheyenne. Did you know that he was comin' to town?"

Reba nodded. "Wait! As long as everyone's here, we might as well introduce everyone to Brock. He's an old friend of the family. I'll make the introductions brief. Max, this is Brock Hart. He's an old friend of Mike's. He's also Barbra Jean's ex-husband and Henry's father." John had walked up to the trio and shared a laugh with Max. "Max, don't encourage his hostility."

"I'm not. As much as you don't like to admit it anymore, we were married when we brought John in the world. That's makes him as much my son as he is yours. We raised him together. He was fifteen when Mike entered the picture. I'm not looking to take our son's affections away from Mike. John has a pair of eyes like everyone else around here. He is an adult with opinions of his own and he doesn't like the way that Mike treats you, okay? You deserve better than that. He's with her again, baby. You've got to know when to throw in the towel."

"I don't want to argue with you tonight, Max, especially not in front of a guest. I'm gonna introduce him to the kids and then you can take them back to your place." Max nodded. Reba brought Jake over to meet Brock. "Brock, this is our son –Jake. He's fourteen and plays on the basketball team."

Jake was polite and shook Brock's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hart."

Brock was enthusiastic in his response to Jake's handshake. "It's nice to meet you, too. So, you play basketball? What position do you play?"

"Point guard." Brock was clearly surprised by Jake's answer. In his reality, the only way that Jake could get on a basketball team was by pretending to be handicapped.

"Yeah, we're all really proud of him. Mike coaches the team. He coaches the high school football team, too." Reba glanced at Jake with pride written all over her features and heard through her voice. "You have to get going with your dad so I gonna introduce the rest of the kids," Reba said to Jake. She turned to Brock as Cheyenne and Van walked over. "Brock, this is our daughter –Cheyenne and her friend, Van."

Van's expression clouded over as Reba spoke. Brock recognized that look instantly and knew what Van must have been feeling inside. Brock carried that look and those feelings for the last six years every time Reba introduced him to others. "Mrs. H, I'm a little more than that."

"Van, you're lucky that I even call you Cheyenne's friend after what you've done to her. You've broken her heart before and now you're back to do it again."

"Mrs. H, I swear to you that I am not trying to hurt Cheyenne. She is the mother of my child. She was my wife. We don't know where we're going with this, but we know that we want to try again. That should be good enough for you if it's good enough for Cheyenne. We're old enough now to make these decisions on our own."

Max's friendly expression changed as he heard Van call Reba Mrs. H. "Mrs. H? That's not even your name anymore. I thought that you were moving past that, especially since it looks like Mike has found a new Mrs. Holliway in his future."

Reba's eyes blazed with emotion. "You know what, if I wanna be Reba Holliway, I'm gonna be Reba Holliway. It's my decision. All I know is that I've kept the name because I value it so much more than my time as Reba Thornton."

"Mom! Can't you guys take this fight away so we don't have to hear it? Think of Jake," Cheyenne urged.

Reba and Max walked outside to continue the argument away from the public eye. Cheyenne and Van's expressions beamed as soon as Reba left the room. "Van, you are a genius. I think that we've got Mom off our backs for the rest of the night. I thought that Dad was gonna blow a gasket right there when you called her Mrs. H."

Brock was dumbfounded. "You two wanted that to happen? You wanted your parents to fight?"

Cheyenne smiled. "Yeah, my mom is very judgmental about my relationship with Van. Van is my ex-husband and the father of my child. Things didn't work out between us before so Mom thinks that we should leave well enough alone. We disagree. Just because she's had a hard time in the romance department doesn't mean that it can't work out for us. It can work out if we want to try hard enough this time."

"We needed a distraction and things were getting too cozy. I saw Max's hands headed straight for Mrs. H's butt while she was talking and she's on a date with another man."

"I know. I saw that. How long do you think it will be before he tries to make another move on Mom again?"

"Definitely tomorrow. I bet you ten bucks that he tries to get her into bed tomorrow."

"Really? I'll take that bet, but I betcha twenty bucks that he shows up at Mom's tonight to make a move."

Brock is still shocked by Cheyenne's attitude. He missed her usual attitude of 'Don't be gross, Van. Those are my parents.' He was curious enough to find out more about Reba's situation. Cheyenne was apparently bold enough to discuss it in public. "You're betting on your parents' love life?"

"Only because my parents deserve better. They are all wrong for each other. They each deserve to be with someone they love who loves them back and makes them happy. My mom's relationship with my dad isn't healthy."

"Which sucks for you, dude, because you're on a date with her tonight. Mrs. H is stuck in a vicious cycle."

"Yeah, my dad is totally in love with her, but she doesn't love him back. He's still trying to win her back. Mom's with Dad again, even though she denies it. She's with him because she's lonely and having an affair is less of a commitment. My dad will accept anything from her at this point."

"So basically, Mrs. H is in love with Mr. H. Mr. H is with Barbra Jean. Mrs. H is desperate enough to wait to win him back. Mrs. H is with Max, who's desperately in love with her. She's made it painfully obvious that she doesn't feel the same way. Now, he's dating Kim Campbell to get her attention, which is sad because we think that Kim may be someone who could make Max really happy."

"Mom says that her kids' opinion is important to her, but she isn't listening to any of us on this one. None of us want Mom to be with my dad because she doesn't really love him and he deserves to be with someone who will love him. None of us want Mom to be with Mike because she turns into a totally different person when she's around him and that's a bad thing. Her self-esteem suffers when she's with him. They had a good thing goin' once. They had a really great marriage, but things changed after they lost the baby.

She was really hurting and she took it out on him. They stopped communicating. Our situation caused a lot of added stress in their lives and they ended up separated. That's when he met Barbra Jean. As soon as she found out that they were sleepin' together, she filed for divorce and she's regretted it ever since. They've actually gotten along better and started working better together since the divorce, which is great for us kids. Unfortunately, Mom has taken it as a sign that she and Mike could try to get back together again. That's when Barbra Jean came back into our lives. It's really time for Mom to let go. If Mike wanted her back, he wouldn't be with Barbra Jean again."

Van and Cheyenne got quiet because Reba came back over to where they were standing. "So I see that my daughter has kept you company while I was gone. So, what did I miss?"

"Not much, Mom. We were waiting for you to come back before introducing him to anyone else."

"Well, Cheyenne's daughter, Elizabeth will be downstairs any minute now to go home with her grandpa tonight. You'll meet her then. I still have two other kids for you to meet." Reba called Kyra over. "Brock, this is my daughter, Kyra. Kyra and John are my children with Mike."

"And we're stickin' around tonight. It's nice to meet ya. I'm so glad that you're on a date with my mom tonight." Kyra said, shaking his hand.

"Thanks. So, are you in college or working? Your father and I hadn't caught up on each other's lives in awhile."

"I'm in college, studying music. I work here for my father. He lets my band sing here on the weekends. Sometimes I babysit Henry. He's a really great kid."

"Well, thank you. I think that your mom is lucky to have a kid like you. It's nice to see someone so young who's so responsible and goal-driven."

"Thanks." Kyra responded to Brock, before leaning over to whisper to Cheyenne. "I like this guy."

"Me, too. I think that he might be a good match for Mom."

Kyra and Cheyenne beamed their approval in their expressions. Reba persuaded John to come back over to meet Brock. "Brock, this is my son, John. He runs Frontier's Restaurant and he helps us out around here. He and Kyra have inherited both of their parents' musical talent. We're really proud of the kids. Of course, Sam and Jenny are finishing college and getting married. Mike is gonna be a grandpa for the first time. They couldn't be here tonight. Josh is upstairs babysitting for Henry and Terry."

"My mother also has three other stepchildren who call her Mom and they couldn't be here tonight either."

"John McKinney Th..." Reba stopped what she was saying when she saw Mike looking in their direction. The last thing that she wanted to do was hurt him by reminding him that his firstborn son still didn't carry his name.

"You can't even say it, can you? I love my dad. He loves us and we're a family. You're messin' up what we have by insisting that Kyra and I have a relationship with a man, who missed half of our lives, simply because we share a biological link with him. They are some decisions that you did right. Dad was one of them, even if you aren't really together anymore. If you don't believe me, then just ask Cheyenne and Jake. It takes around five minutes or so to conceive a child on the average. Mike didn't even stick around after that. Dad spent fourteen years as your husband and he's spent twenty-four years being my dad. That counts just as much as Mike's biological claim to fatherhood. Mike had unprotected sex with you, left you at the altar, and didn't even stop to think about the consequences. I have a right to my feelings."

Reba put her hand on his shoulder. "I know that you do. I want you to give him a chance. It won't diminish your relationship with your dad. We're still a family, a really big tangled mess, but still a family. There's always room for more. Gaining another member of the family shouldn't be treated as a bad thing. Love always has room to grow. Take Kyra for example, she is makin' the best of the situation by tryin' to give your father the benefit of the doubt. Whatever happens, at least she's tryin' to get to know him. She still goes to your dad's house on the weekends. She's even met Kim. Just try to make the best of things. If it doesn't work out, then at least you can say that you tried."

"I want to, Mom, but look how he treats you."

"Your father and I have issues that have nothing to do with you and Kyra. Try to remember that. My relationship with your father should have nothing to do with your relationship with him or Kyra's relationship with him. Okay?"

"Okay, Mom. I'll try." John turned back to Brock. "Hi. I'm sorry. I'm John Thornton. I get my temper from my mother. I played high school football like Van did." John continued to talk while Brock studied him.

John looked so much different than Brock had expected. Here he was right in the middle of a reality that had always been Reba's fantasy. John was alive and well. It was hard for Brock to think of him as anything other than the baby that he remembered. She said that she'd give up anything so John could live. By looking at the state of Reba's life, it looked like she'd paid a hefty price for her wish. His thoughts shifted as he struggled to adjust to the facts in this new reality. Cheyenne and Van were divorced.

Reba got the life and the home that she always wanted, but it was a lonely existence for her. Kyra was the same caring responsible kid that he knew before. The kids were juggling the existence of a father and a stepfather in their lives. That didn't seem too hard on them. They seemed like good kids. Reba had done a great job with them. She always did in any reality. They seemed eager to help Reba with her love life. He'd have to win the kids over as part of the plan to win their mother over.

"Why don't you tell us a little bit more about you, Mr. Hart?" Cheyenne asked.

Brock drew a blank. Luckily, John D appeared to help. "Tell them most of your real story. Most of it is true. The only thing that didn't happen was the twenty-year marriage and three kids. You're a successful dentist. You make a nice living. You're a reformed real ladies' man and then you met Barbra Jean. Your marriage didn't work out because you both wanted different things. She wanted a career as a weathergirl and to travel across the country. You didn't want that type of life. You both love Henry. Then there is the little matter of Barbra Jean's relationship with Mike. She still loved him when she married you. She broke up with him before because Mike was still hung up on Reba. Six years later and Mike still hadn't made a move to get Reba back. They divorced because he cheated with Barbra Jean. He didn't think that she'd take him back after that. Sound familiar?" Brock gave John D a small nod undetected by the others.

"I've known Mike since we were twelve years old. We met when his family moved to Dallas. I live in Houston now. I've been living there since dental school. I met your mom one other time when she and Mike were in Vegas."

The kids groan when they hear Brock mention Las Vegas.

"Hey, I'm from Houston, too," Van commented, not connecting with why the kids groaned.

Brock continued. "I'm a dentist. Henry is my only child. But I've always wanted to meet a woman that I could spend the rest of my life with and have a big family. I don't mind dating a single mother."

"Aww! That's so sweet. We're gonna step to the side now and let you and Mom get back to your date." Cheyenne responded.

"Thank you, Cheyenne. I really appreciate it. It's been nice meeting all of ya. Feel free to call me Brock."

Cheyenne goes upstairs to get Elizabeth ready to leave. Kyra and Jake make their way over to where Reba was standing. "Mom, what are we supposed to call BJ? She wants us to call her Mom, too."

"I'll tell ya what you can say. You just point to her and say 'there's the woman who stole my daddy'."

"That might work, except Mike isn't our daddy. Max is."

"Do you think that matters to anyone else in town? Everyone knows that Mike is your father, Kyra. It would be terrific if you could say it a couple of times around town to embarrass her."

"Sure, Mom. Brock seems nice."

"I guess. I don't know him well enough to have an opinion yet."

"But he seems to know you. He remembers you from Vegas."

Reba groaned and put her hand over her face. "Then he remembers a wild woman. That was not my best time. Your father put me through an emotional roller coaster and I was really mixed up by the end of that trip."

"Mom, he remembered your favorite flowers. That has to count for something."

Reba begrudgingly agreed. Meanwhile, Brock was still talking to John. He clearly understood about Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake's paternity, but John's paternity was the one thing that was questionable in either reality. He excused himself to ask John D about Vegas. He went into the men's room.

"Hey, John D. I need to know something."

"And I'd love to tell you, but you should take some advice from Reba. You should give me a second chance and try callin' me Dad."

"Okay, okay. Dad, I need to know something."

"Thanks, son. What do you need?"

"I need to know about what happened in Vegas. I was supposedly there."

"Oh, you were definitely there."

"So, what happened?"

"Reba didn't know you. You arrived in Vegas late so you weren't the best man. Terry was. You met Lori Ann and Reba the night before the wedding in the hotel lounge. You didn't take the pictures or anything else that happened before you met her in the lounge that night. Everything else happened just like you remembered."

"Everything?"

"Yeah, son, everything. You better let Reba come to ya with those details on her own. You can't force it outta her. Besides you don't have the best beginning with her. She was drunk both nights and she left that room before the sun came up on the final night. That's the only detail that's different."

"So it's the same as before."

"Yeah, boy, it is."

"What do I do?"

"What would your Reba do if she was here right now? Ask yourself that."

"She'd be out there with him, treasuring every moment."

"At some point, it will be over and you will return to where you came from. By the way, she's still got the same magic thing goin' on in her family. Someday, in your time and in your reality, you can show her what John was like. I bet she'd like to see that."

"I know she would. Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate it."

"I know. You needed this trip as much as Reba did. Congratulations. Let me be the first to congratulate you on becoming a father. I don't think that anyone ever did that for ya when he was born."

"Thanks. Congratulations to you, too. He's your first grandchild."

"Get out there and talk to him. I can't guarantee how long this will last."

Brock went back to talk to John. "Hey, how are ya?"

"As best as can be expected, because in about five minutes, my mother will get on that stage with Mike in a desperate attempt to get him to realize how perfect they are together."

"I can see why you'd feel that way, but music has always been a part of Reba. She gets on that stage because she loves it. I think that she'd get on stage for a concert in the pourin' rain if needed. She loves to sing. I heard that she sang to each one of you kids since before you were born."

"That's right. She did."

"She's human just like the rest of us. She's bound to make mistakes because everyone does. It will take her time to let go of the idea of a life with Mike. She's got to do that in her own way. I would like to help her with that. Your mother is warm, funny, impulsive, passionate, and a real survivor. She's the greatest friend that anyone has ever known."

"Does she know that you've got feelings for her?"

"No, she's got a one track mind. She always has. She'll cling to the thought of being with Mike until there is no hope left. Someone needs to make her see how wonderful and fulfilling her life can be, even without Mike. She could get married again and have more children."

"Believe it or not, she's talked about that to Aunt Paige."

"See? She just has to choose a different path in life for herself. She'll do it. Just be patient with her."

"Well, I guess that she could do worse than dating you. But if you hurt her, you'll have the four of us to deal with."

"I wouldn't dream of it. Hey, thanks for the talk. I was nice to meet you. I've heard so many good things about you. Your mother loves you very much."

"Yeah, I know. I just like to give her a hard time sometimes. I love her, too. Even though you're a friend of Mike's, I guess you're not so bad."

"Thank you. I'm gonna tell your mother to break a leg before she gets on stage." Brock smiles and goes in search of Reba.

He was thrilled to have help, even if it came from John D. For Reba, he'd promising to be a better man. He wondered if he'd ever get the chance to talk to Reba about what happened in Vegas. He was suddenly nervous about this date. He had so much riding on it. He'd hoped to be well on the way to winning Reba's heart by the end of the evening….

What will happen now? What will happen on Reba's date with Brock? What is Brock's life going be like in this other reality? Will he stay on in Oklahoma or return to Texas? What will happen when Reba gets on stage to sing with Mike? How much longer will she keep seeing Max? Will Brock get the chance to win Reba's heart again in this other reality or will he fail and wind up back in his reality alone?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

**Okay, because I finally figured out why I keep writing for these characters in these types of situations. I finally put the connections together. Scott Bryce who played Mike Holliway was on Facts of Life. He was so adorably sweet on that show. I watched a lot of TV back then. He was also on Murphy Brown. Here's the connection to Christopher Rich- pre-Reba. Scott Bryce's character had a blonde wife who divorced him and then she ended up in a romance with Christopher Rich's character so that's where I got that idea. It was driving me crazy because I was trying to figure out why I had that dream that led me to write this story. Now I know and so do you.**

**I will continue to write new chapter updates as often as possible. Thanks for being patient.**

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**Chatte578**

**Reba the country queen**

**Merylandrebafan**

**Dr. Michaela Quinn**

**WJC1985**

**nellieforbush**

**LittleMissCheerios**

**RMandMSFan**

**JericaMMADfan**

**RebaJunkie**

**TouchedbyanAngelFan**

**Dimples99**

**Lady Isabelle Black**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon.**

**.net/~rebabrockfan**

**Reba-Brockfan— on FF**

**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**

Disclaimer: I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.


	4. First Date

**Title: It's a Wonderful Life**

**Chapter 4: First Date**

**Time:** **December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie****.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

**Now on with the story- **

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- Brock was talking to John. "She's human just like the rest of us. She's bound to make mistakes because everyone does. It will take her time to let go of the idea of a life with Mike. She's got to do that in her own way. I would like to help her with that. Your mother is warm, funny, impulsive, passionate, and a real survivor. She's the greatest friend that anyone has ever known."

"Does she know that you've got feelings for her?"

"No, she's got a one track mind. She always has. She'll cling to the thought of being with Mike until there is no hope left. Someone needs to make her see how wonderful and fulfilling her life can be, even without Mike. She could get married again and have more children."

"Believe it or not, she's talked about that to Aunt Paige."

"See? She just has to choose a different path in life for herself. She'll do it. Just be patient with her."

"Well, I guess that she could do worse than dating you. But if you hurt her, you'll have the four of us to deal with."

"I wouldn't dream of it. Hey, thanks for the talk. It was nice to meet you. I've heard so many good things about you. Your mother loves you very much."

"Yeah, I know. I just like to give her a hard time sometimes. I love her, too. Even though you're a friend of Mike's, I guess you're not so bad."

"Thank you. I'm gonna tell your mother to break a leg before she gets on stage." Brock smiles and goes in search of Reba.

He was thrilled to have help, even if it came from John D. For Reba, he'd promising to be a better man. He wondered if he'd ever get the chance to talk to Reba about what happened in Vegas. He was suddenly nervous about this date. He had so much riding on it. He'd hoped to be well on the way to winning Reba's heart by the end of the evening….

What will happen now? What will happen on Reba's date with Brock? What is Brock's life going be like in this other reality? Will he stay on in Oklahoma or return to Texas? What will happen when Reba gets on stage to sing with Mike? How much longer will she keep seeing Max? Will Brock get the chance to win Reba's heart again in this other reality or will he fail and wind up back in his reality alone?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

The answers to these questions will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of It's a Wonderful Life.

Now on with our next chapter-  
>Brock found Reba talking with her sister near the stage. "Hey, break a leg. I've heard that you've got the voice of an angel."<p>

"Well, that a pickup line if I've ever heard one. My sister already has trouble with two other men in her life. She doesn't need anything from the likes of you. You smell like trouble too."

"Paige! This is Brock Hart, my date for tonight. He's Mike's friend and BJ's ex-husband."

Paige started laughing. "You mean to tell me that you're goin' out with the guy who's friends with your ex-husband and who used to be married to the bimbo." Reba nodded. "Score! Reba- one, cheating airheads-zero." Paige slapped Reba a high-five. They shared a laugh.

"Is this even a date at all for you?" Brock asked. He was a little thrown off by Reba's excitement at the prospect of dating someone who would make Mike and Barbra Jean jealous. He wasn't fooled. He knew how Reba operated by now. He was being used as bait.

"You seem like a really nice guy. I hope that we get a chance to get to know each other, but right now it would be nice to get some sort of reaction outta those two. Don't you feel the same way? Have you ever wanted to see Mike suffer for stealing your wife out from under you? Your child has been taken from you across state lines. You can't see him anytime like you could before. Everything is being handled her way because she's swept away by her feelings for him and she can't see straight."

"Is that what happened to you? With your first husband, I mean? I heard that you were married to Max and the two of you broke up so you could be with Mike."

"Yeah, that's true. Max is a great guy. He didn't deserve any of that to happen to him. He's just not the right one for me. That's all. We've managed to stay friends and that's always good."

"With benefits," Paige added.

"Shut up, Paige! Why don't you go find your husband? It's almost time to start." Reba glared at her sister.

"He's not my husband."

"According to the state of Nevada, he is. And that's legal in the rest of the 49 states in the U.S. too. If you're not careful, I'm gonna tell Dad and then you'll have to stay married to him for a lot longer than six months."

"You wouldn't!"

Reba grinned. "Just watch me! Now, be a good girl and run over there. You've got a devoted man who hangs on your every word. Take advantage of it while you still can. Besides, I know that you've got the same arrangement going with Michael that I've got goin' with Max. It's a pity that Greg doesn't know a thing."

"Aw, come on, Reba. Please don't do anything. I'm sorry. I'll stop teasin'. I was only kiddin' around. After all, you don't have anything left to lose and I do."

Reba hugged her sister. "I love you and I would never wanna hurt ya. Your secret is safe with me."

Reba picked up her sister's purse and ran her hand over it. She whispered some words and then set the purse down. Cheyenne saw that and hurried over to Reba. "Ma, what did you just do?"

"I just gave her a chance at a normal life. It's in God's hands now. Let's just say that she won't be practicing safe sex tonight."

"Ma, that's so wrong. How would you like it if Kyra did somethin' like that to you?"

"If I did what to Mom?" Kyra said, as she came by the group. Cheyenne whispered in Kyra's ear.

"Oh! Well, that sounds like fun."

"Kyra Eleanor Thornton, I forbid you to use magic that way."

"Sure, Mom. Hey, did my father just wave you over?"

"I wonder what he wants. I remember. I forgot to give him the name of the last song that we're singin' tonight. Excuse me for a minute." Reba leaves the others to talk to Mike.

"Hurry, Kyra, before Mom comes back!"Cheyenne urged.

"I know. I know."

"Excuse me. What are you girls doin' to your mother?" Brock asked.

"What should have been done a long time ago. She needs help and she needs a dose of her own medicine for her meddling. Do you mind givin' us a hand?" Cheyenne explained.

"As long as it isn't anythin' that will hurt her."

"It's just a simple love spell. Every time Mom sees or talks to Mike, she'll think of you. Every time Mom sees or talks to our dad, she'll think of you. We're just gonna bind you two together temporarily, of course. Shocking, isn't it?"

"No, I've heard about your mother's special skills before. I just didn't realize that it got handed down to you."

"Yeah, but only some of us have it. Cheyenne doesn't, but she's a carrier so her daughter, Elizabeth got it. Jake doesn't, but John does. That's how it works in our family. I'm gonna need a strand of your hair, a personal item of yours like a handkerchief, and some of your cologne."

"I'll look in Mom's purse for her hairbrush. We can collect some of her hair from there. She usually has some of her perfume in her purse."

Brock handed them the handkerchief and Cheyenne pulled a strand of hair from his head. He was curious about what the results would be and worried about facing Reba's wrath, if things went wrong. He decided to take the chance. Playing it safe hadn't gotten him very far with Reba in the twenty-eight years that he'd known her. He'd hoped that the girls would be this resourceful in helping him win Reba back in his own world. Reba wiped her face and neck with the handkerchief before handing it back to Cheyenne. Kyra intertwined the strands of Brock and Reba's hair together.

Cheyenne sprayed the handkerchief with Brock's cologne and Reba's favorite perfume. Kyra placed the hair inside the handkerchief undetected. Kyra slowly said a few words before stuffing the handkerchief inside a compartment of Reba's purse that she barely used. Cheyenne giggled. "I hope that you don't mind. The spell tends to influence the other people involved, too. Have fun."

"I hope that you girls know what you're doin'. I really don't want to start things off with your mother in a negative way."

"Relax. It will wear off before she suspected a thing. Why don't you ask Mom to dance while we get a song on the jukebox?"

"I can do that." Brock walked over to Reba. "Hey, Reba. Would you like dance? You've a few minutes left before you have to get on stage."

"Okay. That would be nice." Brock took Reba hand and led her over to the dance floor. Cheyenne selected 'The Things We Do For Love' on the jukebox. Brock remembered the first time that they danced to that song back in 1983 at Reba's birthday party. That event didn't happen in this reality, but Brock cherished the memory and found himself thinking of it as he held Reba in his arms and glided her around the dance floor. Kyra selected 'After All' as the next song. Brock wondered how much Kyra knew since she was blessed with Reba's gifts.

Did she see John D's spirit during the times that he had appeared in the room? Could she see what was going on inside Brock's head? Could she see his memories? Brock tried not to focus on that. He decided to take a wait and see approach to that. His focus was supposed to be the woman in his arms. He tried to focus on the here and now, but his thoughts kept drifting back to memories between them.

Reba could see what was going on in Brock's head a few times. She was hit by images of his thoughts every time her hand touched him. Brock listened to the lyrics.

**Well, here we are again  
>I guess it must be fate<br>We've tried it on our own  
>But deep inside we've known<br>We'd be back to set things straight  
>I still remember when your kiss was so brand new<br>Every memory repeats  
>Every step I take retreats<br>Every journey always brings me back to you**

**After all the stops and starts  
>We keep comin' back to these two hearts<br>Two angels who've been rescued from the fall  
>After all that we've been through<br>It all comes down to me and you  
>I guess it's meant to be, forever you and me, after all<strong>

**When love is truly right  
>(This time it's truly right)<br>It lives from year to year  
>It changes as it goes<br>Oh, and on the way it grows  
>But it never disappears<strong>

**After all the stops and starts  
>We keep comin' back to these two hearts<br>Two angels who've been rescued from the fall  
>After all that we've been through<br>It all comes down to me and you  
>I guess it's meant to be, forever you and me, after all<strong>

**Always just beyond my touch  
>You know I needed you so much<br>After all, what else is livin' for?**

**After all the stops and starts  
>We keep comin' back to these two hearts<br>Two angels who've been rescued from the fall  
>After all that we've been through<br>It all comes down to me and you  
>I guess it's meant to be, forever you and me, after all<strong>

Brock had so many memories flood his mind. He remembered the first time that he kissed her on the night that they met. He remembered two times that they made love on the beach at Lake McAlester. He remembered how she looked in her vision of her upcoming wedding. He thought back to moments from their romantic weekend in June and their recent encounter in the Holliway apartment. He thought about Reba's dream of her two future children. He thought about how he was in her dream at the park, playing with the kids.

Reba put her hand on his shoulder and caught a glimpse of his thoughts. Every time they changed positions and she had to touch him, she saw something else. Reba started to feel warm inside when she saw the images. She was filled with hope. She'd been so lonely for so long. She ran from her feelings for Mike into a casual fling with Max. Her decisions lately hadn't been good ones.

She'd hoped that her luck was changing. She wondered if it has anything to do with Brock's recent entrance into her life. He seemed like a good guy. The only drawback was the fact that he was Barbra Jean's ex-husband and Mike's friend. She was filled with hostility at the two of them and was still actively planning revenge. After the two songs, it was time for Reba to get on-stage with Paige, Mike, Michael Davis, and the band. Reba and Paige started singing their set. The set began with The Tide is High, Roll on Down the Highway, and I Love Rock and Roll.

Reba pulled Kyra on-stage to sing Respect with her. Kyra sang a solo with the song- It's a Long Way to the Top. The crowd cheered and Reba was so filled with proud at her talented daughter. The circumstances surrounding her birth was still whispered about around town. Reba still refused to feel even once ounce of shame over her actions. Her marriage to Max was practically dead when she turned to Mike. It was a miracle that her marriage to Max lasted long enough for them to have Jake. Reba looked at Mike, who was looking at their daughter with the same sense of pride.

His eyes connected with hers. "I love you, Sal," he mouthed. Reba's heart soared in the moment before reality set in. He wasn't her husband anymore. He belonged to someone else. She couldn't shake her feelings, but she was filled with an urgency to rid herself of these feelings for Mike. She looked over at Brock. She wondered if it was possible to move on with him.

She wondered how it would work. She lived in McAlester and she was not uprooting her kids for any reason. He lived in Texas. She just didn't see how it would work. She decided to focus on tonight. If anything, she would always have the memories that she made with him tonight. Even if he wasn't Mr. Right, he was someone special.

Mike joined Reba in a duet. They sang together for a few songs. They sang Give in to Me, Like We Never Loved At All, Break Each Other's Hearts Again, Remind Me, Don't Go Breaking My Heart, and You Make Me Feel like Dancing. Brock was experiencing déjà vu at that moment. They were singing in the same set of songs that he'd seen before in his reality. His only consolation was that Reba was his date for the evening, instead of Mike. Reba performed 'Somebody to Love' as a solo with Paige singing backup.

Mike pulled her into a dance right in the middle of the song during the instrumentals. It was the kind of spontaneous thing that he used to do when they were together. She was conflicted. She was mad at him for moving on with Barbra Jean, happy that he was being so sweet, and sad that it was happening after 'Happily Ever After' got hit with an expiration date. She still had feelings for him, but she'd learned to channel them into a plan to teach him a lesson. During a break, he took her upstairs to talk to her. The apartment was once their home, where they first came together as a family and where they began to raise Kyra and John together as parents and as husband and wife.

This was the apartment where they'd been so happy in the time before they were torn apart by Kim. This was the apartment where Kyra was conceived. This was the apartment where Reba almost died. This was the apartment where they lost their baby. This was the place where Barbra Jean decided to comfort him, usurping her place as his wife. Reba would not allow herself to feel warm and sentimental. It was simple and clear that Mike was a conflicted man.

He still had feelings for his ex-wife, despite BJ's role in his life. Reba was the love of his life and the mother of his children. They talked and reminisced. Before long, Mike started kissing her. Reba found his kisses hard to resist. She was melting into him. Just as he released her mouth to kiss her neck, she found the words coming out of her mouth before she could think and before she could stop them. "Oh, Brock!"

"What? What in the world is goin' on around here? I'm confused. You've only known Brock for a couple of hours. You don't even remember meeting him before."

"I'm just as confused as you are. I don't know why I said it. I think that it's obvious that I'm attracted to him. What's the matter, Mike? Does Barbra Jean say his name in bed, too? Does she call his name out in her sleep?"

"What's wrong with you? You've never acted this way before."

"You've never tried to foolin' around with me while you're with another woman. Oh, wait! Yes, you have. Last time, it was Kim."

"You're not so innocent. You did the same thing to Max."

"I don't know what I'm doin' here. I'm not bein' fair to anyone, especially not Max."

"So, are the rumors true? Are you sleepin' with Max again?" Reba nodded and he continued. "Why, baby? Why would you do somethin' like that? You said that you didn't love him anymore."

"I'm tired of bein' lonely. I need to be held, kissed, and comforted in a man's arms like any other woman. We're not gettin' back together. It's exes with benefits. Before I started this thing with Max, I was in bad shape. The doctors were worried about my blood pressure and my heart. It turns out that sex is a good treatment for that because I'm doin' much better now."

"I could've done that for you. BJ has only been back for two months."

Reba laughed. "With you, I want all or nothing. I can't accept anything less. I want marriage and more children and if that's not what you want, then that's okay. You have someone that you want. You have BJ. I've got to learn to let go and move on. Brock might be a good place to start."

"Are plannin' on sleepin' with him as one of your way of movin' on?"

"I don't know, maybe. Deal with it. You set up this date, now eat your heart out." Reba flashed him a confident smile and strolled out the door, leaving Mike with his mouth open and stunned by her recent uncharacteristic behavior. Reba went downstairs to Brock. They had a couple of drinks. Brock ordered Passion Margaritas and Reba wondered just how much Brock really knew about her. She was dancing closely with Brock, pressing herself up to him while dancing. She wondered what was makin' her act so bold in front of everyone. "Do you wanna get outta here?" she asked him. Brock nodded. "Did you have plans for our date?"

Brock didn't answer that directly. "How about somethin' different? There's a Winter Festival at Lake Texoma. We could go there. I saw it on the way up here. It's less than two hours away," Brock asked tentatively. He didn't want any more conflicts or intrusions to ruin this date.

"Lead the way!" she declared wholeheartedly.

Two hours later, the festival was still in full swing. People were dancing and Brock and Reba joined in. Alcohol was flowing freely. Reba seemed so carefree and relaxed. The next morning, Reba was in bed asleep. She was dreaming of a wedding. A man put his ring on her finger and Reba was filled with happiness, knowing that this was someone who would cherish her for the rest of her life.

The minister announced them man and wife. She turned her head to face her groom for their first married kiss and she saw Brock's face. People were tossing flowers at them. She put her head to the back of his head to bring him towards her quickly. He was grinning as he approached her. She matched his kiss with passionately enthusiasm. She put her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

She woke up startled. She put her hands to her face. She felt so hung-over. When was she going to learn not to drink so much? Her head was throbbing. She thought that she might throw up soon. That's when she noticed the small gold band on the ring finger of her left hand. She heard a groan next to her in the bed. She cautiously looked over to see Brock lying next to her in bed asleep. He had a gold band on the ring finger of his left hand also. Reba noticed that she was naked under the sheets. She wrapped a sheet around herself and stood up from the bed, putting distance between herself and Brock.

"Okay, wake up! Wake up, you mo-ron!"

Brock drowsily raised his head and lifted his body to lean on his elbows. "'Mornin'." He looked around at his surroundings.

"Would ya look at your left hand, please?"

"Good mornin' to you too, Sunshine."

"Just look at your left hand."

Brock examined his left hand. "Oh, would ya look at that."

Reba covered her mouth and tears threatened to fall. It appeared that she married a stranger. Her exes and her children was going to have a field day with this one.

Brock looked over to Reba and saw a similar ring on her hand too. "Oh, you got one too."

"Brock, did we get married last night?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, I have a feeling that we did. The details are a little bit fuzzy, but you were a beautiful bride in that dress that you wore last night. You've been the object of my fantasies in that dress. You don't seem happy."

"Do I look happy, you mo-ron? Honestly, look at me. I just woke up hung-over and married to a stranger."

"We're not exactly strangers. That may have been true in Vegas, but it isn't now. It's hard to say because you displayed a variety of emotions last night, but I seem to remember how serene you looked after we got here. You did look happy then. You looked shocked now, but this is our first morning-after so it would feel different."

"It's all comin' back to me. We've got to find the guy who did this and tell him that we didn't mean it."

"But honey, what if I did mean it?" He smiled at her.

"On a first date? Of course you didn't. How could you? You don't wanna be married to me. You don't even know me. We need to find out where we are. I need to get some clothes on. You need to stop sneakin' a peek under this sheet. I need to call my kids. They don't even know where I am. I need to get home to them." Reba ranted as she scooped up her clothes off the floor and rushed towards the bathroom. She slammed the bathroom door shut.

Brock was left to think about what had just happened. "How do you know?" he asked her softly, but she didn't hear him. He was left to wonder just what made Reba think that he didn't want them to be married. That's when he remembered that his Reba wouldn't have presumed that. His Reba! There wasn't such a way like that to distinguish between the two of them anymore because this Reba was his Reba too. He smiled when he realized that this Reba was his wife.

This alternate reality was wild, but really great. He couldn't move this fast with Reba in the real world. Reba was in a hurry to get home to her kids. They decided to straighten everything out legally when they returned to McAlester. That's when she figured that she and Brock would part ways. She figured that Brock would be on his way back to Houston in the next day or so. She thought wrong...

What will happen now? What will happen when they get back to McAlester? What is Reba's loved one's reaction to her marriage? Will Brock stay on in Oklahoma or return to Texas? What will Barbra Jean have to say about Reba marrying her ex-husband? What will Max say about Reba's new marriage? Reba doesn't want to stay married to him. Will Brock get the chance to win her heart again in this other reality or will he fail and wind up back in his reality alone?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, please review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

**I've had good numbers for this story, but I've only had three reviews. If you have submitted a review, thank you. If you haven't, please feel free to share your thoughts with me. Let me know what you think of this story.**

**I will continue to write new chapter updates as often as possible. Thanks for being patient.**

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**Chatte578**

**Reba the country queen**

**Merylandrebafan**

**Dr. Michaela Quinn**

**WJC1985**

**nellieforbush**

**LittleMissCheerios**

**RMandMSFan**

**JericaMMADfan**

**RebaJunkie**

**TouchedbyanAngelFan**

**Dimples99**

**Lady Isabelle Black**

**Dimples 73**

**Dimples 37**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon.**

**.net/~rebabrockfan**

**Reba-Brockfan— on FF**

**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**

Disclaimer: I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.


	5. Bittersweet vows

Title: It's a Wonderful Life

Chapter 5: Bittersweet vows

Time: December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)

Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.

Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie.

Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs

Now on with the story**- **

Previously- Reba covered her mouth and tears threatened to fall. It appeared that she married a stranger. Her exes and her children were going to have a field day with this one.

Brock looked over to Reba and saw a similar ring on her hand too. "Oh, you got one too."

"Brock, did we get married last night?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, I have a feeling that we did. The details are a little bit fuzzy, but you were a beautiful bride in that dress that you wore last night. You've been the object of my fantasies in that dress. You don't seem happy."

Reba was pacing back and forth. Her voice was rising with each step. "Do I look happy, you mo-ron? Honestly, look at me. I just woke up hung-over and married to a stranger."

"We're not exactly strangers. That may have been true in Vegas, but it isn't now. It's hard to say because you displayed a variety of emotions last night, but I seem to remember how serene you looked after we got here. You did look happy then. You looked shocked now, but this is our first morning-after so it would feel different."

Reba stopped pacing. She was facing him now, but she was flailing her arms as she spoke to him. "It's all comin' back to me. We've got to find the guy who did this and tell him that we didn't mean it."

"But honey, what if I did mean it?" He smiled at her.

"On a first date? Of course you didn't. How could you? You don't wanna be married to me. You don't even know me. We need to find out where we are. I need to get some clothes on. You need to stop sneakin' a peek under this sheet. I need to call my kids. They don't even know where I am. I need to get home to them." Reba ranted as she scooped up her clothes off the floor and rushed towards the bathroom. She slammed the bathroom door shut.

Brock was left to think about what had just happened. "How do you know?" he asked her softly, but she didn't hear him. He was left to wonder just what made Reba think that he didn't want them to be married. That's when he remembered that his Reba wouldn't have presumed that. His Reba! There wasn't such a way like that to distinguish between the two of them anymore because this Reba was his Reba too. He smiled when he realized that this Reba was his wife.

This alternate reality was wild, but really great. He couldn't move this fast with Reba in the real world. Reba was in a hurry to get home to her kids. They decided to straighten everything out legally when they returned to McAlester. That's when she figured that she and Brock would part ways. She figured that Brock would be on his way back to Houston in the next day or so. She thought wrong...

What will happen now? What will happen when they get back to McAlester? What is Reba's loved one's reaction to her marriage? Will Brock stay on in Oklahoma or return to Texas? What will Barbra Jean have to say about Reba marrying her ex-husband? What will Max say about Reba's new marriage? Reba doesn't want to stay married to Brock. Will Brock get the chance to win her heart again in this other reality or will he fail and wind up back in his reality alone?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

The answers to these questions will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of It's a Wonderful Life.

Now on with our next chapter-  
>Reba couldn't get home fast enough. She was anxious over the anticipated reactions of her family. Paige was going to laugh over the hypocrisy of what she did. She'd been giving her sister a hard time over her impulsive Vegas drunken nuptials that Paige had been wanting out of for the past couple of months when Reba had been pressuring her to try to make the marriage work. Meanwhile, Reba had gone off and done the same thing. If she tried to get out of it, what type of example was she making to her sister and her daughters? After two divorces, she didn't think that she was a good example of how to have a successful marriage.<p>

A third marriage that ended in divorce shocked and frightened her whole being. She was not that type of woman. She was a good, loving woman. Why was she making these types of destructive decisions? She was stuck on what the right thing to do was in this situation. It was times like this that she knew that she couldn't be counted on to be the family's moral compass. She wondered how she got into that position in the first place.

She had been married twice before. The reason why her first marriage failed was because she cheated with the man who became her second husband. Her cheating behavior led to her daughter's birth. Her youngest daughter wasn't fathered by her first husband, whom she was married to at the time. She was also currently engaged in an affair with her first husband, ten years after their divorce. She was so far off the moral path that she didn't know how to get back. She looked over at the man who was now her legal 'husband'. She just couldn't wrap her head around the concept. She barely even knew this man.

There they were in Brock's truck again. Brock was experiencing déjà vu. He felt like they had been this way before and they had. This was what it was like in the past when Brock was driving Reba home from Holliway's after her fight with Mike when she asked Brock if he really wanted to date her. There she was clutching the door handle again like she was truly scared of him. He was going to have to be diplomatic about this again. He decided to be the first one to talk about their situation. He'd hoped to put her at ease.

"So, we had quite a night, didn't we?" he remarked jokingly.

She wasn't looking at him. She was still looking out the window. She was silent and he knew Reba well enough to know that it wasn't a good sign. She was either mad, scared, or both.

"Come on now, things aren't so bad. Things could be worse. You could be married to a complete stranger. At least, we know each other. We've met before."

Reba turned to him with a tear stricken face. "You don't understand. My sister made this type of mistake and I gave her a hard time about it. My children are counting on me to keep things stable, safe, and happy for them in our home. I was tryin' so hard to keep things from being chaotic again. I've raised my children and grandchild for the last six years in a stable, loving home. I've been focused on them and what they need."

"So, what about you? Everyone knows that if Mama's not happy, then nobody's really happy. Don't you think that they've picked up on the fact that you're all alone? Anyone can see that you've sacrificed your life for theirs."

"I don't matter in this. That's how I got in trouble in the first place. My happiness doesn't matter. If it did, then I wouldn't be raising my kids alone right now. I had a good husband who was a loving father to my children. I screwed that up by having an affair. I deserve to reap what I sow."

"There are two people in a marriage. Marriage is not a jail sentence. A smart lady once told me that it can be the most wonderful way to spend the rest of your life in the arms of the person that you love."

Reba laughed with sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Horsefeathers! I once thought like that myself, but I've been through two marriages. In my experience, marriage is not that way. It's soul crushing."

"Not all men are out to hurt you. You've just gotten mixed up with the wrong ones."

"That's what happens when you get married for the wrong reasons. I got married the first time because I needed a father for my child. It wasn't really for love."

"Same here. Barbra Jean and I got married because she was pregnant with Henry so I know what you mean. We grew into love and mutual affection for one another. We both love Henry."

"But it's not enough. Max wanted his version of a wife and I couldn't be that way. He's one of the richest guys in Oklahoma. He belongs to a country club. He plays golf. He hosts dinner parties. He travels in social circles.

He wanted me to have the children raised by a nanny. He wanted me to join the Junior League. That's not me. I don't fit in that world. I went back home and there was Mike. Everything was the way it was before. If I really loved my husband, I wouldn't have fallen into temptation.

By that time, Max and I were going through the motions. John was four and Cheyenne was three. We kept dragging the marriage on until John was fourteen and our youngest, Jake was three. I thought that I was doing the right thing by making a life with Mike. I really loved him. We were happy. You don't know how strong a marriage is until it's tested. Ours didn't pass the test when we hit the first major roadblock."

"Well, this time you didn't marry because you're pregnant, desperate, or scared. We could have a mutual respect for one another that a good marriage needs. The rest can come later."

"That doesn't sound like a good foundation for a marriage."

"It's better than most. You can learn to move on from your past. We can support each other. I can help you with your kids. I know that you've always wanted to go to college. I can help you with that."

"Really? I won't be bought, Brock." Reba's eyes bore into his.

"I wouldn't dream of it, honey. Look, if this were the end of an ordinary date, wouldn't you wanna see me again? Wouldn't we exchange phone numbers to see where things go?"

"Yeah, that's what I was hoping for. I enjoyed the parts of the evening that I remember, but you live in Texas and I live in Oklahoma. We could get to know each other on the phone and through e-mail."

"Okay, what about the legal status of our marriage?"

"We can get it annulled or get a divorce, something that doesn't disrupt the rest of our lives too much."

"Let me see if I understand this. You wanna get to know me and you wanna date me. You wanna see where the relationship goes. You just don't wanna be married to me?"

"You make it sound like a bad thing. We are leading two separate lives and I don't wanna jump into something so quickly."

"We can go as slow as you want, but I don't think that we have to dissolve our marriage to do that; unless we decide for sure that we don't wanna be together." Brock tried to start calm, cool, and collected. He wanted to be mature about this. He usually let Reba bait him into flying off the handle into an argument with her. He learned a few things that would be very useful to him in dealing with this Reba.

"Okay, so you return to Texas and we won't tell anybody a thing about this whole mistake."

"I really don't appreciate you calling our marriage a mistake. For some reason, this happened and we shouldn't play the blame game. We should just be open with it."

"So I can deal with the fallout when you're safely in Texas? No way!"

"Calm down. I wanna make this relationship work. I feel the same way that you do about marriage. What better way to deal with Cheyenne and Paige than to handle this the right way," Brock urged.

"What way is that?" Reba asked with her arms crossed in front of her.

"We should stay married and work on the relationship. We could show them that you are practicing what you preach."

"I don't know. It seems so fake and dishonest. I'm kind of involved with Max at the moment."

"You've said that you did that because you were lonely. Did you plan on seeing him and me at the same time?"

"No."

"Okay, then. That's one obstacle out of the way. Look at it this way. It will drive Mike and Barbra Jean crazy."

"That's one benefit. I just don't want my kids to be confused. I don't want them torn between their dad and me. Max isn't going to like it if I stop seeing him. It's gonna be a problem."

"You should've anticipated how the man would react when you eventually ended things with him again if you really don't love him. Honey, you should've known that it was gonna be a problem to marry a man that you didn't love strictly for security and companionship in the first place."

"Then why are we stayin' married?"

Brock pulled the truck over to the side of the road. Brock leaned over and captured her lips in a warm, melting kiss. She became warm and accommodating under that kiss. Brock slowly lowered her down onto the front seat of his truck. Passion coursed through Reba's veins like wildfire. She opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair and down his back.

Brock pulled away and looked into her eyes. "That's why. We have something special between us. I knew it the first time I saw you. Did you have that with your first husband?"

"No. That took Max and I twenty-five years to develop. Of course, we are engaged in a strictly physical relationship now. What do you mean that you knew it the first time you saw me? In Vegas?"

"Yeah, Red. We danced and we kissed. You asked me to dance first. Lori Ann and I helped you back to your room. You kissed me and told me that I was like a fantasy. I helped you when you got sick. You said that I was the perfect guy before you passed out."

"And you remember this from one night twenty-five years ago from a random encounter with a random woman in Las Vegas."

"No, you can imagine my shock when I found out that you were the bride at the wedding that I attended the next day. Things like that don't happen to me very often. You aren't a random woman to me."

"Because of Mike. I know. I was your best friend's girl. I was a damsel in distress. I was in trouble and you helped me."

"It may have started out that way, but it's different now. I accepted the date because I've always been attracted to you. We're married because there's a connection between us. That was why we made such a subconscious decision."

"Let's say that I buy into all of this. You have to understand that I am not that type of woman. I'm not gonna start sleeping with you because we have a piece of paper that says that we're married."

"But Sweetheart, you already did that. We've already done the deed." Brock smirked at Reba.

"I know that, you mo-ron. But that doesn't mean that I wanna repeat the experience. You wanna get to know me. Great, good for you, but that doesn't mean that you'll be scoring a touchdown with me anytime soon. I have a big house with a lot of bedrooms. Pick one." Reba issued the challenge. If Brock wanted to stay married to her, he'd have to accept her terms.

Brock readily agreed. It only took him five seconds to decide. He'd spent six years without her by his side as his wife so he wasn't going to waste any more time on anything that would keep them from working to build a life together. Brock was ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead, even if Reba wasn't quite ready yet. He looked at her. He was ready to face anything that came his way, if it meant being with her again. He figured that he could get the kids on his side from the conversations that he had with them before. The exes were going to be the main problem.

One of them was a man that she admittedly still had feelings for, despite his relationship with another woman. The other was a man that currently occupied her bed almost every night. The only good thing was that she admittedly couldn't say that she actually loved either of these men anymore. He had his work cut out for him this time. He had to wonder if it was easier to woo his beloved redhead with the field wide open. Reba hadn't found anyone that she allowed herself to fall in love with during the past six years. In both realities, she clung to memories of her relationship with Mike.

How was he going to get her to turn away from a past love in order to move forward with him? It was a long shot because she couldn't remember the tentative past that they had together. By rights, he had just as much of a claim in her life as the father of one of her children, but he knew Reba well enough that she would force him from her life before she would admit that Mike was not John's father. It would take time and Brock was ready to invest the time in this relationship. He would figure out how to proceed in winning Reba's heart and getting her to remember their night in Vegas. The hard part was figuring out how to do the same thing in the 'real world'. Reba was a lot less lonely in that world because Mike was available and wanted to marry his Reba.

She was his Reba and Brock was not going to let her go that easily. He wanted to kick himself for being so blind all these years. It wasn't over between them. How could he have thought that it was? He only thought that it was because of what he did with Barbra Jean. He didn't communicate with his wife to figure anything out. He didn't pay attention to what was going on around him and he lost his family. These were mistakes that Brock didn't plan on ever making again.

They turned to drive down the gravel road to the McKinney family homestead. Reba's driveway extended down from the gravel road that led to her parents' house. Her driveway was paved and ran up to the house. It was over a half mile down from the gravel road. Reba had lived with that gravel road that her parents used as a driveway for all of her life. She wasn't settling for that. She had the funding when the house was built so she decided to splurge on having a concrete driveway. She turned to Brock to let him know where the turn was for her house when he surprised her by making the turn without further instructions. "How did you know that this was the right road to turn down?"

"Instinct. Honey, you'd be surprised how much I know about you. For example, I know that this is the place where you've always wanted to live. It's near the barn and the creek. It's also right by your favorite tree."

"How did you...? Never mind, I don't wanna know. The focus needs to be on what we're gonna say to the kids."

"Of course, it's gonna be okay. We're just gonna go in there and talk to them in a calm, rational manner."

"You obviously haven't met my family. We aren't calm, rational people. We're the screaming, yelling, and jumping to conclusions type of people."

"Maybe that should be the first thing that we work on as a married couple, honey. We can show everyone that we can have a marriage that works with good communication."

"Yeah, sure. And while we're on the subject, don't call me honey. It's unnerving," Reba responded with her usual sarcasm.

"What do you want me to call ya? You want me to call you Sally like Mike does?"

Reba felt her composure under attack. She felt an acute sense of loss. With the reminder of Mike came the realization that they were finally over. They would never be together again. Once again, Mike chose BJ and now Reba had married his best friend. That had to be final nail in the coffin. She swallowed the despair in her throat. She shrugged in mock resignation.

Brock saw the hurt and longing lay naked in her eyes. It tore his heart in two. He got the answer to his question about whatever or not Reba would be better off if they were never together. She wasn't. She was bedding a man she didn't love while pining away for a man who'd chosen another woman over her. How could he fix that? He wanted to see the sunshine shining in her eyes again. Sunshine! Finally, Brock came up with the answer.

"It's gonna be okay, Sunshine. I promise you that."

She bit her lip and looked up at him. "How can you be sure of that? In twenty-five years, I haven't made a decision in my life that hasn't negatively impacted my children's life, except the decision to be alone."

Brock clutched Reba's hand with both of his. "Let's just take this one step at a time. We'll go in there together and we'll handle whatever happens together." Reba met the smile and the hand which was offered. She reached out of the grasp, lacing his fingers with her own. Her face brightened at the suggestion. She managed a small, tentative smile. He captured her eyes with his. He got out of the truck, walked around the other side to open the door for his new bride.

"Okay, so you're a gentleman. Any other surprises? I didn't expect that about you. Mike's filled me in on your sexual escapades. Your reputation as a ladies' man precedes you, Casanova." There was a trace of laughter in her voice.

Brock's smile deepened into laughter. "Okay, maybe I was. But that's not who I am anymore. Would you believe me if I told you that in another life I was only intimate with two woman? I've dated a lot of woman in my time. That's how I got the reputation, but I don't sleep with every woman that I date."

"Well, that's all over for you now," she proclaimed teasingly.

"Oh, yeah. Why is that?" he asked, amused by her comment.

"Because you're married to me, buddy. Don't you ever forget it!"

Brock's smile widened. "I don't intend to. By the way, the same goes for you. I've heard about you, too. You've had your share of sexual escapades, but that's all over for you now unless you want to share that with me."

Reba threw her head back and laughed. "Dream on."

"I'll settle for just going over the rules." Brock began as they approached the front door to Reba's house.

"Rules? What rules?"

"Your reputation precedes you, my dear. Rule one: No matter how much we've quarreled, we never go to bed without having kissed the other. Rule two: We are never apart from each other for more than two weeks. Rule three: We always spend our anniversary in bed. Rule four: The children always come first. No matter what else is important. Rule five: We'll always be there for each other whenever one of us needs the other. Rule six: We can talk about anything with each other. Rule seven: We always kiss at bedtime and fall asleep, arm in arm every night. Rule eight: We dance together before we go to bed every night. Finally, rule nine: No talkin' about our exes in the bedroom. Did I get that right?" Brock wore that characteristic smirk on his face.

Reba's eyes grew wide with surprise. "How did you...? Never mind. Mike has a big mouth. Okay, so now you know."

"Know what?" It was Brock's turn to be surprised.

"What a control freak I am," Reba revealed. Brock's eyes lit up in amusement. Reba couldn't understand why he knew so much about her and still wanted to be locked into this strange situation with her. She refused to think of it as a real marriage.

"You are not a control freak, but you are one strange woman. You're definitely worth it."

"Thanks a lot, Brock. You really know how to make a woman feel special." Reba's voice was dripping with her usual sarcasm.

Brock took that with a grain of salt. This was Reba and he knew how to read her moods. She was still holding his hand so he took it as a positive sign. "I'm trying here, at least give me credit for that."

"Fine. It's just weird that you know so much about me when we hardly know each other at all. You have to understand how strange this is for me. I have to walk in and announce this strange situation to my children as if it's perfectly normal, which it's not."

"Reba, you gonna listen to me when I tell ya that everything is gonna be okay. I will work out. I promise."

Reba eyed him suspiciously. "I've never seen any man actually fight this hard to stay in a marriage, especially to a woman that he barely knows. I'm not sure about any of this and I'm definitely not sure about you. I don't know what it is because I'm not wealthy. I didn't take a large settlement in divorces. Believe me, I'm gonna figure out your angle." Reba opened the door to her house. Her children assembled in the living room, awaiting their mother's arrival. "Guess what, kids. I have an announcement to make. Brock and I are married. Any questions?"

Silence filled the room after that shocking announcement. Brock was left to wonder what else Reba would say about their marriage. He wondered what the kids' reactions would be. He wondered what her ex-husbands would say about their sudden marriage. So far, day one of their new marriage wasn't a bad one because they'd reached an understanding. He wondered what was lying ahead for them. One thing was for sure, Reba McKinney was now Reba Hart and Brock liked the sound of that...

What will happen now? What will happen once the kids get over their shock? What is Reba's ex-husbands' reactions to her marriage? Will Brock stay on in Oklahoma or eventually return to Texas? What will Barbra Jean have to say about Reba marrying her ex-husband? Reba is skeptical of Brock. Will Brock get the chance to win her heart again in this other reality or will he fail and wind up back in his reality alone?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

Thanks for the reviews, please review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….

Author's note: Some things are not clear to readers so I will try to summarize for clarity.

Here's the rundown on Reba's relationship with the three men in this story:

In Las Vegas-Wedding to Mike-failed, Met Brock-conceived John-one night stand

Was with Mike before and after Vegas so she assumed that Mike was the father.

Reba left McAlester for Ada. She worked as a nanny to Max's children. Max's wife died. Max offers to marry Reba and help raise John. She didn't give birth prematurely and Mike didn't show up when John was born.

Was married to Max- had Cheyenne

Cheated on Max with Mike-conceived Kyra

Max found out and wanted to save the marriage. Stayed married- had Jake with Max

Mike's marriage ends in divorce. Reba unhappily married and wanted a divorce to be with Mike. She married Mike.

The rest of it is just like Believe in Love Again- got pregnant, had a heart attack, lost the baby on the kitchen floor- similar to my other story. Reba suffered from depression, she couldn't handle being in the apartment anymore, lack of communication- Mike and Reba got separated. He met Barbra Jean and she "comforted" him. He got caught and Reba divorced him. BJ left because Mike was devastated that Reba divorced him. She knew that Reba came first in his life. She married Brock. It didn't work out because BJ was still in love with Mike. She divorced Brock and left Houston to try again with Mike.

Over six years, Mike and Reba have worked to build a good relationship- A friendship that could develop into something more when BJ came back into their lives. Reba realized that she was lonely and settled for started friends with benefits relationship with Max.

I will continue to write new chapter updates as often as possible. Thanks for being patient.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

FakeCubicZirconium

Janie Dear

RebaFan4Forever

Chatte578

Reba the country queen

Merylandrebafan

Dr. Michaela Quinn

WJC1985

nellieforbush

LittleMissCheerios

RMandMSFan

JericaMMADfan

RebaJunkie

TouchedbyanAngelFan

Dimples99

Lady Isabelle Black

Dimples 73

Dimples 37

SamandDianefan 10

I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!

Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week.

Remember read and review, please!

Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon.

.net/~rebabrockfan

Reba-Brockfan— on FF

Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba

Disclaimer: I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.


	6. Are you kidding me?

**Title: It's a Wonderful Life**

**Chapter 6: Are you kidding me?**

**Time:**** December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**No copyright infringement intended.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

Now on with our next chapter-  
>"Have you told Dad yet?" Cheyenne asked.<p>

"No, I'll have the conversation with him later. I wanted to talk with you first," Reba explained.

"What about Mike? Does he know about this?" John asked. He was wearing his characteristic smirk.

Reba hadn't anticipated this type of reaction. She figured that there would be more shock and outrage. John looked almost gleeful. It wasn't right, but Reba figured that she would deal with that later. Cheyenne sent Kyra a guilty look. Kyra sent Cheyenne an equally warning look to keep her quiet. Reba eyed her daughters for a second. "Alright, what are you two up to?"

"Nothing. Look, we didn't plan for anythin' to happen. We just wanted you to be happy. We wanted you to move on..." Cheyenne stopped in midsentence.

This was the part where Brock figured that working with the kids was going to land him in hot water with Reba. That's when Kyra jumped in. "What Cheyenne is tryin' to say is that we gave Brock condoms last night."

"What?" Reba's glare ran from Cheyenne, to Kyra, and then to Brock. "I'm so embarrassed. Welcome to my family. These are my children. They all live here with us. They have a tendency to do the most shocking things. This is just the beginning. Still sure about this?"

Brock put his arm around Reba to show support. He knew that she was stressing out about this. It couldn't be good for her blood pressure. Reba found it strange how she instinctively drew comfort in his simple embrace. "Well, Jake, how do you feel about all this?" Brock had a feeling that Jake might be his harshest critic since he hadn't gave much of a positive reaction yesterday in support of his mother's date.

Jake stopped to contemplate this latest change in his family. He didn't want his parents together anymore because it wouldn't last. It never did. He knew that Reba didn't love his dad the way that she loved Mike and he didn't want her with Mike either. He was getting used to having Barbra Jean in their lives. He remembered how sad his mom was before because of Mike. He didn't want to see her that sad again. "Is Henry our brother now?"

Brock smiled. "Yeah, he's your step-brother."

"You said that you knew my mom before. Is this about old feelings bubblin' up to the surface for you and Mom in one far away from home in a hotel gettin' sloppy drunk night?"

"Jake Mitchell Thornton!"

"Well, Barbra Jean said it. She was talking about it after you guys left," Jake explained, "Don't worry. I don't believe that. I don't think that you would marry anyone unless it was real. Right, Mom?"

Reba shot Brock a panicked look. He tightened his hold around her and answered Jake's question. "Don't worry, Jake. This is very real. Do you remember in that movie, Yours Mine and Ours when the man and woman met again after years and came home married after one night together? It's like that." Brock kissed Reba's cheek for emphasis.

Jake smiled. "I'm glad because otherwise I was scared that Mom was going crazy again."

Before anyone could comment on that statement, Elizabeth came running into the room. "Hi, I'm Elizabeth. What am I supposed to call you?"

"What do you want to call me, little one?" Brock asked, smiling at her.

"Well, I call my grandpa Max by Papa, because that is what Grandma calls her grandpa. I call my grandpa Mike by Gramps, because that is what Grandma calls Grandpa Kenny. He's her step-grandpa. Grandma has two grandpas like me. Wait, do I have three grandpas now?" Elizabeth explained.

Brock chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you do. You know you could always call me Grampy. I've always wanted to have a granddaughter like you to call me Grampy."

"Okay!" she answered Brock brightly. Elizabeth then turned to Reba. "He's nice. I like him."

"Wait a second! Henry is family now. He's your step-son. Barbra Jean is his mother. We're all related to Barbra Jean now. What is Henry supposed to call you? Keep in mind that BJ will want us to call her the same thing," Kyra remarked with a smirk of her own.

Reba groaned. "How about Aunt Reba for Henry when he's comfortable?" She posed this question to Brock.

"Or he could call you Mommy Reba. BJ would just love that," Brock responded sarcastically.

Reba snapped her fingers. "I think that's a brilliant idea. We could say that's what he's gonna call me just to mess with her head. Seriously if you kids call her Mommy BJ, I swear I'll disown you." She turned to Brock again. "He can call me whatever he wants. I don't wanna pressure him. Especially for this," Reba whispered in his ear.

"What do you mean especially for this? I thought that we agreed to give this a real try," he whispered back into her ear.

Reba couldn't respond because the hushed whispers between them were interrupted by Jake. "So what do we call your new husband, Mom?"

"Do you want us to call him Dad like your last husband?" John quipped.

"Are you really gonna talk about Mike that way? Hey, he was your father. You should call him Dad. I don't think that's so unreasonable when I'm marrying your father."

"You should call this one Dad. That'll really bug Mike." Cheyenne remarked.

"Cheyenne Marie Thornton! Don't get him started," Reba warned.

"Or we could have that pleasant conversation about how Mike is John's father and if things had worked out in Vegas, then we'd all be Mike's children," Cheyenne continued.

"Mom should be happy with the two love children that she got. See John and I are her love children with Mike," Kyra told Brock.

Reba flashed her children her signature glare. "My children are exaggerating. They know better. I don't put Mike on a pedestal and I don't put John and Kyra on a pedestal for being Mike's. They're messin' with you. They know that I love them all equally. John and Kyra just love to be sarcastic and Cheyenne eggs them on."

Reba took Brock on a tour of the house. "This place is huge. Why did you build something so big? Did you have bigger plans for the future?"

"No. I just wanted all of the children to have a family place to call home anytime."

"You have more bedrooms than children."

"Mike has three children, including Terry, beside our two and Max has three children beside our two so it made sense to me. That makes a total of ten children and one grandchild. You don't divorce children. The kids have grown up together as a family. Max's first wife died when the kids were little so I've raised them as my own. They are blood siblings to Cheyenne and Jake. There's also Elizabeth to consider. Mike and I were married for four years. Mike's children are blood siblings to John and Kyra, except Terry who is their biological cousin, but that's beside the point. It's what ties us together as a family."

"I can't wait to see what this place looks like during the holidays, especially since we have a new child to add to the bunch," Brock remarked.

"New child?"

"Yeah, Henry is my son and you are my wife like we talked about with the kids. Henry is part of this family now so he should have a place here too."

"Does he have his own room at your place?"

"Yeah, but this is where we live now. I'd like to live here permanently and only travel to Houston as needed. I could have shared custody with Barbra Jean and Henry could live here half the week." Reba's face clouded over. Brock noticed the change. "What is it? Did I say somethin' wrong?"

"You have to understand how I feel about Barbra Jean. I hate her so much. I already have to deal with her at work. My home is my sanctuary away from that craziness."

"But he's my son. When you look at him, can't you just think of me and not her? I promise not to bring her into the house. I can pick Henry up and drop him off at Mike's." Reba's expression hadn't budged. "Don't you like me more than you hate her?"

"I guess," Reba reluctantly admitted.

"Can't you like him as much as you like me?" he further prodded.

"Yeah, maybe more because I don't really like you that much," Reba teased.

"Is that a fact?"

"Yeah, there's a room down the hall that would be perfect for you and Henry."

"What do you mean, me and Henry?"

"I told you that you'd be sleeping in your own room. What better way to spend more time with him than to share a room with him while he settles into a new house, a new family, and a new routine."

Brock had to admit that Reba had a point. He just didn't like sharing a room with a five year old while his wife was down the hall. He didn't want Henry to tell Mike and BJ that Brock and Reba slept in separate beds. He didn't want Mike to think that it wasn't a real marriage.

There were further problems to face later that night. Reba had just fallen into a deep sleep in her bedroom. At the same time, Brock was fast asleep in one of the guest rooms that he'd chosen for Henry. He had a harder time falling asleep than Reba did. He was in a strange house, sleeping in a twin bed while his wife was fast asleep in a king sized bed in her own bedroom. Brock didn't think that his marriage was off to the best start. Usually in a successful marriage, the husband and wife usually slept in the same bedroom. Brock knew that he would have to be patient and give Reba some time. He prayed that things were move along in their relationship soon.

In Reba's bedroom, she was awoken by lips exploring her soft, alabaster skin, down her neck in the darkness. Her cotton nightgown was pulled away from her body, slowly lingering against her skin as it moved inch by inch. Shivers of delight followed his touch. His hands slid across her silken belly, searing a path down her abdomen and onto her thigh. His tongue made a path down her ribs to her stomach. She felt her knees weaken as his mouth descended. Her emotions whirled and skidded. She didn't know what to do. She told Brock that they wouldn't be making love again until they got to know each other a little better. She felt powerless to stop the rush of excitement pulsing inside her. She wanted him and she wasn't going to stop him tonight.

She was trying to figure out if it was a dream or if it was real. He leaned over her and grabbed a pair of handcuffs out from the drawer of the bedside table. He proceeded to handcuff her to the bed. "Very kinky, are we? Keep going. I wanna know what you're gonna do next." Her body squirmed beneath him as his mouth and hands continued to explore.

In Brock's bedroom, light began to pour into the room as Terry Holliway began to shimmer into the room. "Hey, buddy. Wake up." When Brock wouldn't awaken from his deep slumber, Terry kicked the bed and finally pushed Brock out of bed to the floor.

"Hey, man, what's the deal? I was sleeping here."

"We've got a problem down the hall in Reba's room."

Brock sprung up from off the floor and left his room as fast as he could. He moved stealthily so he didn't make a commotion and wake up the kids.

Back in Reba's room, she was still swept away in the dizzying current of desire. "I needed this so much. Oh, Brock. You're wonderful."

"Brock? Did you say Brock?" he questioned angrily.

Reba knew that voice. It was the voice of the man who'd been occupying her bed for the past couple of months. A man who'd occupied her bed for fourteen years. Her eyes flew open at the shock to see the face of the man whose body covered her own. "Yes, I said Brock. Get off of me, Max," Reba growled.

Brock opened the room to Reba's room as soon as he heard the angry exchange. "What in the h—l is going on here?"

"It's not what it looks like. Actually it is what it looks like, but it's not my fault. I didn't invite him here. This is a big misunderstanding," Reba explained.

"It looks like my wife is in bed with another man." Brock tried to maintain his cool and give Reba the benefit of the doubt. After all if she'd wanted Max in her bed, then he doubted that Terry would alerted him to the situation. Terry was her guardian angel after all.

"Your wife?" Max questioned.

"Yeah, my wife. Didn't the kids tell you? We just got back from our wedding night in Lake Texoma today."

"They forgot to mention this. Are you kidding me? Married? You ran off and married another man?"

"You know how it is. We hadn't seen each other in twenty-five years since Vegas. We met and the sparks flew again. It was rash and impulsive, but that's what I love about Reba." Brock sat down on the bed next to Reba and kissed her left hand, still handcuffed to the bed.

"I don't believe this. If he's your husband, then why wasn't he in bed with you?"

"Ever heard of going to the bathroom? It was late and dark so he used the one down the hall by mistake. It's his first night here. He's never been in the house before."

"You had to have known that it was me, Reba."

"I was asleep at first. For the love and grits and gravy, you heard me call ya Brock. I thought that you were my husband. See my ring." Reba stuck out her ring finger on her left hand to show Max her wedding band.

"We have a matching set," Brock said with his own brand of sarcasm as he showed Max the wedding band on his hand.

"This is the courtesy that you show me after fourteen years together and raising four kids. I thought that we were getting somewhere after all this time."

"I'm sorry. I know that it's my fault. That's why we had rules. I thought that we understood each other. We don't love each other. We're friends. We were having sex as long as we both wanted to and nobody knew about it. Guess what? Everyone knows and I don't want this anymore. Now take these things off!"

"No, I'm not. I want the chance to say my peace without you lashing out at me. Obviously, this is my fault. We agreed that this would be friends with benefits relationship, but I can't help the way that I feel about you. I got sucked into thinking that I could get you to love me. You're so stubborn and cold. It's hard to get through to you. It's hard to stop caring about you after all these years."

"I made my feelings clear so this wouldn't happen. I don't wanna hurt you. We're friends and you're the father of my children so we have to remain friendly. I thought that we could be adults about this and do this without either of us getting hurt."

"Wait a minute! He said something about sparks flying in Vegas twenty-five years ago between you two. Is he the one...?" Max stopped midsentence, pausing to think about it further.

"Don't go there, Max! You promised. Don't you ever go there! I mean it," Reba shouted at him.

"Reba, you'll wake the kids. Remember your blood pressure," Max warned.

"I'll calm down when you promise me that you'll stop throwing my past in my face every chance that you get. The best way to get me to calm down is to release my hands out of these darn things!"

"No, that might be the worst thing that I could do. You'll just chase me down, trying to hit me and yell at me. You'll wake the kids and frighten them because you're off your blood pressure meds and you'll have another episode."

"Wow, who would've thought that the guy that dropped my blood pressure would be the one to raise it up again, huh? I should have because I was foolish enough to get close to ya again. That's always bad news. Things are fine when we keep a comfortable distance. Get outta here. If you ever think of dredgin' up my past, remember that I owe a gun and I'm not afraid to shoot ya with it. Goodnight, Max."

Max turned towards Brock. "Good luck with that one. She's more trouble than she's worth. The key for the handcuffs is in her nightstand drawer. Seriously, you need to know that she's only toying with you until Mike splits with BJ. It's what she does." Max takes one last look at Reba before exiting the room.

"Now that he's gone, please unlock these handcuffs. They're uncomfortable. I'd like to get some clothes on and get some sleep."

Brock went to lie down next to his wife. "Nope. We're gonna talk. You're stuck having to listen if you want me to cooperate. I heard you in the hall. Despite not wanting us to make love, you wanted me tonight during a moment of passion. Admit it."

"I'll admit it and I'll talk to you, if you help pull my nightgown back on."

Brock tried to do the gentlemanly thing. He tried to get the nightgown back on, which was hard without her arms so he wrapped her body up in an extra sheet. "Better?"

"Yeah, okay, I know what I said, but the moment has passed. Being in that situation was really embarrassing for me. I took the coward's way out by not telling Mike and Max about our situation tonight right away. I honestly thought that the kids would tell them."

"Did you ever think that the kids aren't straight forward with everything?"

"Yeah, my daughters actually think that they can get me to fall in love. Cheyenne wants me to have a love life so I'll leave her alone about hers. My children are the most mischievous bunch that you'll ever meet. Thanks for coming to my rescue."

"Anytime. So, are you okay in here alone?"

"Probably not. Mike and Max will be questioning this situation if we don't appear to be married for real. You better stay in this room for the duration. I should've done that in the first place. I underestimated Max. I won't do that again." Brock didn't show it, but his heart flipped over for a minute when Reba told him to stay.

That happy feeling sunk down into the pit of his stomach. "What do you mean 'for the duration'? Brock asked incredulously. He thought that they were trying to make their marriage work.

"While we work on things for however long that lasts," Reba responded nonchalantly.

"Reba, I'm tryin' to make our marriage work and you act like it's doomed to fail."

"Brock, I don't know what's gonna happen. I don't have the best track record when it comes to marriage and that's when I'm madly in love from the beginning, which is not happening here. Thanks for not flying off the handle when you saw Max in here. I was embarrassed enough. I didn't want the kids finding out about it."

"No problem. What info does Max have on you anyway?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out. Are we good here? I'm tired."

"Almost. You see I knew a woman like you once. We got drunk one night. I ended up falling asleep in the wrong bed. She came into the room, stripped down, handcuffed me to the bed, and seduced me. The next morning, she was angry that I allowed it to happen. There's a lesson to be learned here. I'm just gonna let you sleep on it. In the morning, if you're reasonable, I'll let you go. Goodnight, honey." Brock kissed her cheek and tried to go to sleep.

"Oh, Brock, if you let me go, I'll change my mind about tonight. Do you want me? Let me go and we'll forget about the no-sex thing for tonight."

Brock chuckled. "No, this is just too much fun."

"All I need is one hand. Take the cuffs off one hand at least. I can do a lot with only one hand." Reba leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Come on, you know you want to."

"You know what? In my experience, women who say that under these circumstances don't really mean it. You just wanna get free and you'll say anythin' to win. You'll get me hot and bothered and then you'll roll over and go to sleep. You like to tease." Brock put a large pillow behind Reba's head. He got her to lie down in a more comfortable position, but he wouldn't be Brock if he didn't make a move. He leaned over Reba and captured her lips with fiery intensity before rolling over to go to sleep. "Goodnight, honey."

Reba was left very confused by the events of the day. For the first time in years, she didn't know what to expect in her life from day to day. She didn't know how she felt about that. She was used to being in full control of her life and her family. One thing she did know was that she wanted her husband in her bed. She just didn't know if she wanted the rest of the commitment stuff to go along with it. She was determined not to fall apart or crumble over this man...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

_Author's note: I will continue to write new chapter updates as often as possible. Thanks for being patient._

_Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!_

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**Chatte578**

**Reba the country queen**

**Merylandrebafan**

**Dr. Michaela Quinn**

**WJC1985**

**nellieforbush**

**LittleMissCheerios**

**RMandMSFan**

**JericaMMADfan**

**RebaJunkie**

**TouchedbyanAngelFan**

**Dimples99**

**Lady Isabelle Black**

**Dimples 73**

**Dimples 37**

**SamandDianefan 10**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie****.**


	7. Happy Anniversary Part One

**Title: It's a Wonderful Life**

**Chapter 7: Happy Anniversary-Part One**

**Time:**** December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**No copyright infringement intended.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

Now on with our next chapter-  
>Brock sat up in bed. He found it hard to sleep. However, his wife was sound asleep, despite her assertion that she couldn't sleep with the handcuffs on. He walked over to the entertainment center across from the bed. He turned the TV on quietly so he wouldn't disturb Reba. She had a DVD playing. He decided to watch it for a few minutes. If he wanted to know more about this Reba, he figured that this might be a good start.<p>

The DVD was a home movie. He pressed play to watch. He sat down on the edge of the bed, watching the home movie. The scene unfolding before him was a Holliway family home movie. The date on the screen was December 2, 2001. The party appeared to be taking place at Reba's new home. Lori Ann was behind the camcorder filming the party on the screen.

Her voice could be heard from behind the camera. "This is a special day for the Holliways. This is Reba and Mike's third anniversary party. No one ever thought that this day would come. Three years and these two are still going strong."

The camera moved around the party. Brock saw the faces of Reba's parents, John, Cheyenne, Paige, Kyra, Jake, Sam, Jenny, Josh, Kim, Mike's parents, and Max among the partygoers. The camera zoomed in on a conversation between Kim and Max.

Lori Ann's voice was heard again. "Hey, you two! Do you have anything to say to the happy couple?"

"Reba, you deserve all the happiness in the world. Congratulations to you and Mike on the baby. I think that it's great. You're finally gettin' the family that you've always wanted. You're a good friend and the best mother I've ever seen," Max remarked.

The camera moved again to a teenage Paige, talking with Sam, Jenny, Michael, John, and Cheyenne. "What do you have to say to the happy couple?"

"Because of you, my girlfriend is related to me. She's my sister-in-law's sister. Thanks," Sam remarked.

"He's only kidding. We love you. We're really happy for you. We're happy that you're having another baby," Paige commented, putting her arm around Sam.

"Come on, Cheyenne. Say something to your mother. John, aren't you happy for your parents?"

"Mom, I'm really happy for you. I love our new house. Mike is a cool stepdad. I'm happy to have a new baby brother or sister. Couldn't be any worse than John and Kyra."

"Thanks, sis. I'm feelin' the love. Seriously, Ma, we love you and we're glad that you're happy. We're happy for you about the new baby."

Lori Ann is walking around the party with the camcorder. She gets another close-up shot of Max. Reba walks up to her. "Max is lookin' so fine. Another example of a man who's actually gotten better with age."

"Why don't you ask him out before Kim does? Be my guest."

"Nah, we've got a deal. I don't date any guy who's been to bed with you."

"Don't worry about it. Max and I only had fourteen years of marriage. It was hardly serious," Reba said jokingly. "Mike wants to send this video to his buddy, Brock. Edit this stuff out before you make that copy for him, okay?"

"Wait. Did you say Brock?"

"He's Mike's best friend from junior high and high school in Dallas. He lives in Houston now, apparently."

"Did you say Mike's best friend?"

"Yeah, why?"

"The guy we met in Vegas?"

"Vegas? Nah, I don't think so. I remember almost everything about that trip. I don't remember anyone else at the wedding, except for our friends from McAlester."

"Reba, there are a lot of details from the Vegas trip that you don't remember. What does he look like?"

"I don't know. I've never met him. I've never asked Mike what the guy looks like. Why?"

"I seem to remember meeting someone named Brock there. I think that he was the guy at the bar the night before."

"Whatever. It's not important, Lori Ann. Why don't you date him if he's so memorable?"

"Reba!"

"Today is my anniversary. I am married to the man of my dreams. I am blessed with four wonderful children. I'm pregnant with Mike's baby and he's my husband. Nothing is more important than that. You should relax. Go find Terry and have a good time. All is right with the world and I've never been happier."

"Whatever you say, Reba. I'm gonna go find your husband and film him with the kids. He says that he has a surprise for you."

The camera pans out to find Mike. Lori Ann walks over to him to talk to him. He's standing next to Terry.

"Hey, Lori Ann. I see you filming this little shindig for the happy couple."

"Yeah, are you available later?"

"Maybe. Right now, I have to help my brother with a surprise for his wife." Terry turned to talk to Mike on camera. "Hey, Mike! Do you have anything to say to your lovely wife on the anniversary of the day that you married her for all eternity? Tell her how happy you are to be married to her."

Mike laughed and turned to look at Reba. "Hey, Sal! Today's our anniversary?"

Reba laughed at him. "Yeah, Jack. Look what you did to me." Reba's hands went down to her abdomen to gently rub her baby bump.

"Wow, it's our anniversary. You know what? I'm your husband and you're my wife."

Reba walked up to Mike and put her arm around him. "Would that be because I'm pregnant and my daddy owns a shotgun? We already had two children. It was about time to get married, don'tcha think? It was time to get married before we brought a third child into the world, you mo-ron." She slapped him playfully on the arm.

"You're gonna make our child think that we had a shotgun wedding and we didn't. We got married because we love each other. The baby came after."

"For once. You two mate like rabbits," Lori Ann commented from behind the camera.

"Thanks, Lori Ann. Right now, I have something to say to my wife, the mother of my children." He looked at Reba again. "I have something for you and I hope that you like it." Mike signaled Terry. Terry brought out a guitar and handed it to Mike before sitting down behind the family's piano to play a song. Terry started playing the notes to Love Me Tender and then Mike joined in with his guitar accompaniment. That's when Mike looked into Reba's eyes. Reba looked at him expectantly. Then...

_Love me tender,  
>love me sweet,<br>never let me go.  
>You have made my life complete,<br>and I love you so._

Reba seemed to like it, there's a twinkle in her eye...some of the guests focus their attention on Mike and Reba.

Brock winced as he watched Mike sing. He knew that Mike sang to romance Reba, but he'd never seen him be so genuine with her. She seemed so happy...

_Love me tender,  
>love me true,<br>all my dreams fulfill.  
>For my darlin' I love you,<br>and I always will._

Lori Ann moved the camera between Mike and Terry. She focused on Terry's face and then his fingers playing the tune.__

_Love me tender,  
>love me long,<br>take me to your heart.  
>For it's there that I belong,<br>and we'll never part._

The camera caught the reactions of guests in the crowd... the women, smiles on their faces, wrapped up in the romance of the moment. Envy on the men's faces as they watch Mike serenade his wife...

A musical interlude from Terry as Mike took off his suit jacket and tie...some hoots and hollers from the crowd...Lori Ann captured the image of Reba whistling at her husband...

Lori Ann followed with the camera as Mike strolled in front of the gathered guests...

_Love me tender,  
>love me true,<br>all my dreams fulfill.  
>For my darlin' I love you,<br>and I always will._

Brock watched Mike as he moved gracefully as he performed. He watched Reba's face with fascination.

Barbra Jean's words came to mind... "Well, do you want to now? That seems to be something that he does to woo Reba and it's workin'. What can you do? He's looking into her eyes. It's so intimate. He's romancing the socks off of her. It's like somethin' out of a romantic movie."

Brock thought about what Reba told him once during that late night phone call... "I also love being sung to, you know. It works as an aphrodisiac for me. I'm a sucker for a man with a guitar. You'll have to sing to me sometime."_  
><em> 

In the video...Mike moved closer to Reba, she couldn't have a more delighted look on her face. He picks up the verse...

_Love me tender,  
>love me dear,<br>tell me you are mine.  
>I'll be yours through all the years,<br>till the end of time._

The camera panned across the crowd, even the men are got into it, focused on Mike as he sang lovingly to his wife...Terry mouths the words along with Mike, staring at Lori Ann as he does so.

Brock watched the TV, seeing Mike do this...maybe he underestimated this effect on Reba...

On the video...Mike stared into Reba's eyes. They exchanged a sexy smile. Mike kissed her on the lips...more hoots and hollers from the crowd. Reba brushes a hand across Mike's face.

Brock watched this...seeing the connection, the heat between them...coveting it...envying the man who had this connection with his wife.

Back to the video...the music building...the crowd completely in the palm of Mike's hand.

_Love me tender,  
>love me true,<br>all my dreams fulfill.  
>For my darlin' I love you,<br>and I always will._

_(When at last my dreams come true  
>Darling this I know<br>Happiness will follow you  
>Everywhere you go).<em>

A little musical flourish from Terry as the crowd broke out into huge cheers and applause...

Brock watched this version of Mike in the video- the center of attention, larger than life, focused on Reba... He knew that he would have to woo his wife in a grand, romantic fashion.

Back on video...

"Happy Anniversary darlin'...I love you," Mike said tenderly to Reba. He put his hand over her tiny baby bump and whispered in her ear. Reba leaned over, giving Mike a deep kiss...oohs and ahhs from the crowd...but Mike and Reba are in their own little world...

Brock is sad, watching this video. He ached for Reba because she had been watching the video recently- seven years later, alone, and six years divorced. The only bright spot was that Reba wasn't alone anymore. They had been married for two days now. He realized that it was after midnight. Today was officially December 2, 2008...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

_Author's note: I will continue to write new chapter updates as often as possible. Thanks for being patient._

_I hope that everyone had a fun time over the New Years' holidays._

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**Chatte578**

**Reba the country queen**

**Merylandrebafan**

**Dr. Michaela Quinn**

**WJC1985**

**nellieforbush**

**LittleMissCheerios**

**RMandMSFan**

**JericaMMADfan**

**RebaJunkie**

**TouchedbyanAngelFan**

**Dimples99**

**Lady Isabelle Black**

**Dimples 73**

**Dimples 37**

**SamandDianefan10**

**walk on**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie****.**


	8. Happy Anniversary Part Two

**Title: It's a Wonderful Life**

**Chapter 8: Happy Anniversary-Part Two**

**Time:**** December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**No copyright infringement intended.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

**Previously- **

Brock is sad, watching this video. He ached for Reba because she had been watching the video recently- seven years later, alone, and six years divorced. The only bright spot was that Reba wasn't alone anymore. They had been married for two days now. He realized that it was after midnight. Today was officially December 2, 2008...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out! Keep reading to find out more!

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is It's a Wonderful Life! 

**Now on with our next chapter-**

Reba awoke to find her hands uncuffed. She quickly threw on her usual flannel pajamas and found Kyra making breakfast in the kitchen. "'Morning, Mom."

"I see it and I hear it, but I don't understand it. Why are you up this early, making breakfast for everybody?"

"Some flowers were delivered this morning. They're from my father."

"So I see. That doesn't explain the strangeness of your behavior, Kyra."

"Dad told me to warn him if my other father tried to make a gesture like this today. Dad said that you're off your blood pressure medication. I'm just trying to make things easier for you."

Reba raised her eyebrow up at that suggestion. "Who are you and what have you done with Kyra?"

Kyra folded her arms in a stubborn stance similar to Reba's usual one. "Ha ha, Mom. You're so funny. Dad is worried about you today."

"Well, he wasn't too worried about my state of mind last night. I can tell ya that. Why is he worried about me anyway?"

"Dad thinks that you're having a nervous breakdown, by marrying Brock and all."

"You know that I'm okay, right?"

"On normal days, yes. But this is your anniversary with my father. You two are the only divorced couple I've ever heard of that still celebrates their wedding anniversary like they are still married."

"Not today, not anymore."

"Good, 'cause I want you to be happy. Hanging onto the past wasn't good for you."

"Who's the mother and who's the daughter here? Thanks for the advice. For your information, I am gonna sit down with your father today and make sure that we don't have any instances like this again. No more romantic gestures."

"Yeah, you've got a husband for that now. Nice to see that he's where he belongs."

"What do you mean?"

"Dad is many things, but discreet is not one of them. I woke up last night as Brock was leaving the bedroom down the hall."

"Dear Lord, Kyra, I never meant for any of you kids to find out about me and your dad that way. I gave it one last try, end of story. Being with Max again was a mistake. I realize that now."

"Well, I know that Brock spent the rest of the night in your room. I'm glad. It means that I didn't have to lie to Dad. I told him that your marriage to Brock was a real one."

"Thanks, honey. Whatever happens, you have to know that I am sincerely going to do my best to make this marriage work. I'm sorry for springing it on you like I did."

"I'm fine. We're all worried about you. Please do us a favor and break up with my father once and for all. You and Mike should've been done after the divorce. It's been agony watching you drag it out for years."

Reba put her hand on Kyra's cheek. "I'm sorry, Sweetie. I didn't realize how it was affecting you. He was my first love. He's the father of two of my children. Until recently, we were getting closer again. No matter what, I'm not sorry that I loved him. He gave me so much happiness. He gave me you. But I'm going to try to be happy with Brock now. Your father is moving on with Barbra Jean. We're all gonna be okay."

Brock chose that moment to enter the kitchen. He'd been listening to their talk, afraid to interrupt. He wanted to know how Reba really felt. "Good to hear it, but you're not gonna have to try to be happy. I hope that eventually you'll be under less stress and as happy as I am. I've found that being married to you is my ultimate happiness." He pulled his wife into his arms for a surprise kiss. Reba was receptive, melting into the kiss. When it ended, Brock asked, "Where'd the flowers come from?"

"My father sent them. Max followed up on how Mom was doing this morning after Mike sent the flowers. Mike and Mom were married ten years ago today."

"So I heard."

"We're not a normal family."

"Mom, I made you something." Kyra pulled a vile out of her pocket.

Reba took the tiny bottle, eyeing it suspiciously. "What is it?"

"It's something that Nana and I made to help you. It's a potion to help you lift your blinders. Nana says that it's supposed to help you see everyone's true intentions. It's like the movie, Liar Liar when the guy has to be truthful for 24 hours. No one will be able to lie to you for 24 hours. You'll see everyone's true intentions. No more romantic fog. When you're with Mike, you'll see how he really feels."

"The kid's got a point, Reba. If Mike really wanted to be with you, then why did he set you up on a blind date with his best friend?"

"I've been a little too busy to think about that since I've met you, Brock. Everything has happened too fast for me to stop and think about anything." She looked up at the clock, and then down at her current outfit. "I'm gonna be late. I've got to shower and change. I've got inventory to do before the bar opens. Fix me a plate to take with me and get me a cup of coffee. I really need some caffeine this morning." Reba ran upstairs, leaving the vile on the kitchen counter.

Kyra picked it up. She poured her mother a cup of coffee and emptied the liquid from the vile into the coffee cup, and then she winked at Brock. "You heard the lady, coffee pronto." She handed the cup to him to take to his wife.

Brock was repeatedly frustrated with Mike's hold on Reba. He had Barbra Jean. And yet, he still kept Reba tied to him. He tried not to be angry about the flowers. After all, Reba didn't tell him that she'd got married to another man. He'd hoped that Reba would break the news to Mike that day. He thought about their wedding anniversary, their real one from his reality.

He'd celebrated that day in his own way every year. He always managed to see Reba and spent time with her every year on their anniversary since their divorce. He couldn't blame Mike for that, not when he was guilty of the same behavior himself. But he considered himself better than Mike because he didn't make any romantic gestures towards Reba until he had ended things with Barbra Jean.

Brock was standing outside the bathroom door with the coffee cup in his hand. Reba raced out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. He almost forgot about the coffee cup when he looked at her. He remembered when they'd been married before, and Reba had exited the bathroom in nothing but a towel. That led to some unbelievably passionate moments between them. He wasn't so lucky this time. He had to take things slow with her now.

They'd missed some important courtship steps in this time and things moved too fast for Reba. He had to let her set the pace. He knew what was under that towel and it was driving him crazy. He handed her the coffee cup.

"Thanks. You're a lifesaver. I might just keep you around after all." She gave him a quick peck. She drank the coffee down quickly. She got into a short floral dress, instead of her usual tight fitting work outfit for the bar. It was a good sign that Reba felt comfortable enough to change in front of him. When she was finished, she did her makeup in the mirror. Brock stood behind her. She turned around to face him. "Do you want somethin'?"

Brock wrapped his arms around her and swooped down for a kiss. He explored her mouth with exquisite tenderness.

"Wow! That was really something. I'm a lucky girl. By the way, it's my grandparents' anniversary. Mike usually throws them a party at Holliway's. I haven't heard anything about it so far, but he's been known to surprise me with a party. Call me later. I get a break around three. I'm supposed to work until 7 tonight. Maybe I'll get Barbra Jean to finish my shift for me."

"How about I bring Henry by around five? If it's not too busy, we could get a chance to sit down with him and talk to him about our new family."

Reba froze at his words. She looked into his eyes to see his genuine emotion. She realized that he really wanted their relationship to work. She had no choice, but to step into this uncharted territory. Her ex-husband was telling the kids that their mother might have a nervous breakdown. She had to show them how strong she was. Her relationship with Brock had to be a strong one. How was she going to do that? Physical attraction was not a strong foundation to start with. She introduced her kids to Brock. It was time to get to know his son. She was really scared that Max was right and she had lost her mind by jumping into this marriage. She shook off that thought. Max was being self-serving. He just wanted her back for himself.

Reba took a deep breath and looked at him. Brock ran his hand through his hair in frustration. It was always one-step forward and two steps back with Reba in any reality. He'd tried to be patient, but even that was wearing thin. The only bright spot in this marriage was that he'd managed to get his wife to let him share her bed last night. It would hopefully be an on-going arrangement. She'd promised the kids that their marriage was a real one. That meant that she was willing to make it work. Why was she so hesitant about Henry? His concerned eyes met hers. Her eyes held a bewildered expression. "What's wrong, honey?" He covered her hands with his own.

Her expression changed. Bewilderment was replaced with a masked smile. Her eyes brightened a little. "Five o'clock is fine. I'm just nervous is all."

"What do you have to be nervous about? You know Henry already. You've been a stepmother before."

"I was their nanny first before I became a stepmother to Max's children. I helped them through the loss of their mother. Having a new baby in the house bonded us as a family. This situation is totally different from that."

"Okay, let's have a baby. That would bond us together as a family."

"Brock, don't be ridiculous. That's not what I meant."

"I know that. I just think that it would be nice if that were a topic of conversation for us somewhere down the line."

"Brock, we don't even know each other very well."

"So, let's get to know each other. What do you want to know about me?"

Reba sighed again. "I don't even know your middle name."

"Good. That's a place to start. It's Enroll. And I know that yours is Nell."

"Really?" Reba exploded in a fit of giggles. "That's your middle name?"

Brock smiled. There was laughter in her eyes, and he was happy to share in that moment with her. "I'm glad that you find it so funny. You know we have some rules set up and we're not following them."

"Like what?" Her hands were on her hips.

"Rule one: No matter how much we've quarreled, we never go to bed without having kissed the other. I never got a goodnight kiss." Brock took the opportunity to press his lips on hers.

She broke off that kiss. "Hey, you got a kiss just before we went to sleep when you left me handcuffed to the bed."

"But I didn't get one before we went upstairs to bed for the night. We said that this marriage is real. We need to prove it to the kids. That means regular displays of affections." Reba nodded in understanding while Brock continued. "Rule three: We always spend our anniversary in bed. It's our two day anniversary, Red."

Reba rolled her eyes at that one. "Pervert. You'll have to take a rain check on that one. Continue."

Brock smiled. There was a relaxed atmosphere between them now. "Rule four: The children always come first. No matter what else is important. That means that you should be working on developing a relationship with Henry, just like I am with your kids."

"I will. I just don't want to see them hurt."

"Neither do I. We have to trust each other on that one. We have to work on making things good between us. Your kids are worried about you."

"I know that! Max is telling them that I'm in the middle of a nervous breakdown. If anything, I'm in the middle of a midlife crisis. That's all."

Brock put his hand over his heart. "Then I'm honored to be your midlife crisis."

Reba playfully slapped his arm. "Just go on."

"Rule five: We'll always be there for each other whenever one of us needs the other. Rule six: We can talk about anything with each other. You're having a hard time adjusting to our marriage. I know that it's a rough day for you on top of that. I want you to come to me if you need to talk. If you want to stay off your medications, then we can work on that. I want you to be open to talking to me. I'm a good listener."

Reba rolled her eyes at him. "You want me to talk to you about my conflicting feelings about you and about Mike?"

"Absolutely," he responded firmly.

"You're a glutton for punishment. You'd actually listen while I discuss my feelings for Mike and Max? Something tells me that's not a good way to start off this marriage."

"I'd say that it's perfect. We've got issues between us. Let's talk them out. I want you to feel safe with me. It's a pretty good foundation, if I do say so myself."

Reba took another deep breath. "Okay, don't say that I didn't warn you."

"Rule seven: We always kiss at bedtime and fall asleep, arm in arm every night."

"I can see where this is going. You just want to get some action, don't you?"

"Now whose mind is in the gutter. No, I just want to develop some closeness between us. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to make love with my extremely beautiful wife. But- only after she's committed to being my wife. You don't trust me like that yet."

Reba smiled again. This man was different than any guy she'd known before. "Thank you. I really appreciate that, but you're a strange husband," she teased.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said, flashing her a smile of his own. "Rule eight: We dance together before we go to bed every night. We didn't do that last night."

"I'd have to agree that our marriage was in an entirely different place last night."

"Meaning what?"

"We went to bed in different rooms. We weren't exactly committed to this. I was still technically involved with another man."

"I don't know about you, but I've been committed to this from the get-go. You're the one who's on the fence."

Reba went to the radio on the dresser and flipped on her favorite station. The sound of Anne Murray singing Could I Have This Dance filled the room. "I'm ready to try. Would you care to dance, Mr. Hart?"

"I thought you'd never ask, Mrs. Hart." Brock jumped at the invitation, taking her into his arms. He held her tightly to him as they moved to the music.

Reba thought about his last comment. He called her Mrs. Hart. Reba supposed that she should take his name if they were going to show everyone that the marriage was real. It was strange to her. She'd been Reba McKinney for last six years. At least, Van could still call her Mrs. H. "Mrs. Hart. I'm not used to that yet."

"Give it twenty years or so. It will grow on ya. I guarantee it."

"About the last one..."

"Huh?"

"Rule nine: No talkin' about our exes in the bedroom. How am supposed to talk to you about all my feelings, if we stick to that rule?"

"Easy, we'll change it. We'll talk about exes in our room anytime, except when it's an intimate moment, okay?"

"Sounds like you've thought of everything."

"I have." He looked down at her. He took a finger and tipped her chin up to look at him. "I just want to be the husband that you deserve."

"I'm not sure that I'm the wife that you deserve."

"Don't worry about that. The fact is that you're my wife and that's enough for me."

"Should you want more in this marriage?"

"It takes time like any marriage. I feel lucky enough just to be married to you."

Reba rolled her eyes at his sappiness. "Yeah, right. Just wait until we hit a rough patch."

"I'm older and wiser now. I've learned my lesson and I'm in it for the long haul. I'll prove it to you. You just wait and see." He captured her lips in another kiss.

Reba wasn't sure what to make of this. They hardly knew each other, and he was acting as if he was already head over heels in love with her. She broke off the kiss. "I really do have to get to work now."

"I understand, but I want you to know that you're not a single mom anymore. I want to contribute. You could work less hours and go back to school."

"Honestly, Brock, how much can you contribute? Your dental practice is in Houston and you're here."

"I'll find a way to make it work, honey."

Later on, Reba and Paige were working at Holliway's. Paige had the radio on. Reba was organizing the inventory- cleaning and straightening behind the counter while Paige was cleaning tables, chairs, and the floor. They were having a grand time, laughing and dancing to the music. Reba told Paige the story of Max's midnight visit the night before and her morning with Brock.

Paige couldn't stop herself from laughing. "Heavens, Reba, you might actually go off and do something crazy fall in love with your husband!"

"Ha, ha. My situation is totally different from yours, Paige. Your husband is not a stranger to you, but mine is a stranger to me."

"All the more reason to get to know the man. If Daddy finds out, you are toast. Even Max thinks that you're having a nervous breakdown. You have to do something. I hope at least the sex was worth all this trouble."

"I wouldn't know. I can't remember."

"Have you done anything since..."

Reba shook her head. "Don't look at me like that! There hasn't been the time. He's moving in and the kids are getting used to things. We're taking things slow."

"Dinosaurs move faster than you do, when you're stubborn. You've got to give the guy a chance. That's what you've been tellin' me to do with Michael. At least, Michael and I are enjoying each other at the moment since it's legal and all."

"And you want an annulment? You're the one who's lost her mind."

"I don't want to stay married to him. I just want to have a little fun is all."

"I'll tell you what the fun will get you, the same thing it got me, John and Kyra. You watch."

"Oh, yeah. I bet that you're the one who'll end up with a little Hart in the oven."

Reba's face turned pale as all the blood rushed out of her face. "I don't even know if we used protection." She put her face in her hands.

"Reba, I was kiddin'. Calm down." Paige went over to her sister and rubbed her arm to soothe her. "It'll be okay."

That's when Mike walked out of his office and saw Reba. He rushed over to her. "Is she okay?" he asked Paige. He turned his focus to Reba. "Are you okay, Sal?" Reba wasn't responding. "You're scaring me here, babe." He turned back to Paige. "I'm could strangle Max with my bare hands. It was his lousy idea for her to get off her blood pressure meds. She doesn't look good. I'm taking her upstairs to lie down." He picked her up in his arms and went to carry her upstairs to the apartment.

Reba buried her face in his shirt, weeping. "Don't be this nice to me. I don't deserve it," she whispered.

"Of course, you do. You're just having a bad day. You are beautiful and wonderful. You deserve more than I ever gave you, Sal. You just lie down, calm down, and I'll take care of you."

Paige looked at the clock. It was four p.m. Brock would be arriving in an hour. She figured that it would give Reba enough time to tell Mike what she'd been putting off all day. Reba wasn't in any condition for physical activity, so she knew that there would be no way that she would succumb to any advances; although that would really be bad if she did since her new marriage was in such a fragile place at the moment.

Paige started biting her nails and prayed that Brock or the kids would show up early. She had a feeling that Mike and Reba upstairs alone might spell trouble...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

_Author's note: I will continue to write new chapter updates as often as possible. Thanks for being patient._

_Some readers are wondering about the singing in the chapters. Mike sings to romance Reba. Reba Hart said on the show that she always wanted to be a singer so I gave her that chance in her alternate life._

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**Chatte578**

**Reba the country queen**

**Merylandrebafan**

**Dr. Michaela Quinn**

**WJC1985**

**nellieforbush**

**LittleMissCheerios**

**RMandMSFan**

**JericaMMADfan**

**RebaJunkie**

**TouchedbyanAngelFan**

**Dimples99**

**Lady Isabelle Black**

**Dimples73**

**Dimples37**

**SamandDianefan10**

**walk on**

**jessie 33**

**wildfirefanatic08**

**Anonymous reviewers**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie****.**


	9. He's Having a Baby

**Title: It's a Wonderful Life**

**Chapter 9: He's Having a Baby**

**Time:**** December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**No copyright infringement intended.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

**Previously- **

Paige started biting her nails and prayed that Brock or the kids would show up early. She had a feeling that Mike and Reba upstairs alone might spell trouble...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out! Keep reading to find out more!

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is It's a Wonderful Life! 

**Now on with our next chapter-**

Meanwhile inside the apartment, Mike put Reba down on the bed in their old bedroom to lie down. She rolled over on her stomach. She felt Mike's fingers and palms digging into the tight, sore muscles in her back. It felt heavenly. This was exactly what she needed, this physical, non-sexual relief. Why couldn't she get this out of her other ex-husband or her current husband? Her thoughts paused, her current husband? Oh boy, was she in trouble now! She didn't want to have to train someone to care for her needs. She wanted a man who could just do it. Mike Holliway was that man, but they weren't together anymore. Brock's question from this morning ran through her mind.

"Mike, this feels wonderful. Thank you," she murmured.

"Anything for you, babe. Nothing is too good for my girl."

"Why do you say that?" She turned over abruptly to look at him. "What did you call me your girl?"

"Come on, Sal. You know that you'll always be my girl."

"No, I don't. You send me mixed signals. You either want me or you don't want me. You can't have it both ways."

"I guess I haven't been too clear, have I? I want you. I love you. I want us to try again."

Reba's hand flew up to her mouth. She was not prepared for such a direct, honest declaration from him. He'd been evasive about his feelings for so long. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Don't stand there like you don't know what I'm talkin' about! You set me up on a date with Brock. Why would you do such a thing?"

"That was to make BJ happy. I didn't want her to suspect something."

"Right, it's so bad for BJ to suspect that you might have feelings for your ex-wife." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Baby, I swear that I'm going through something and we'll be together as soon as it's over."

"So am I. You have no idea."

"I'm sorry. Are you and Max gonna...?"

"What?"

"Nothing. I just thought that you might be pregnant is all."

"No, of course not, you mo-ron. Why would I even be having this conversation with you like this if I was?"

"I don't know. I got a strange vibe from you the other night."

"I don't know what that could be. Maybe it was because you set me up on a date with another man."

"I've explained that. Why? What are you going through anyway? Why would you say that about me?"

"Remember when we had that fight a couple of months ago. You went on a date with Max. I got jealous and went on a date with BJ. Well afterwards, one thing led to another."

"Let me guess, the bimbo is pregnant."

Mike hung his head down. "Yeah. Sal, I promised to see her through this. But after she has the baby, I'm gonna tell her that I want to be with you."

Reba bolted up onto her feet from the bed. She grabbed the pillow and started to attack him with it. "You mo-ron, how could you? How could you do that, throw her in my face and then still say that you love me?"

"Come on, Sal. It was a mistake. It's not like you haven't done the same thing."

"I haven't."

"I'm talking about the way that you even handled everything with John."

Reba paused, her arms at her sides now. She was afraid of where he was taking this. She let him continued.

"I know that you slept with someone else in Vegas. I know that if you were 100 percent sure about John being my son, there's no way that you would've married Max. You weren't sure, and that's why you left. I know you."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "How dare you? I stood at the altar, promising to love you forever, and you have the nerve to question my fidelity! What about you and Kim? You got another woman pregnant."

He held his hands up in front of him. "I handled things badly, but at least I admit it. I know that you got drunk and ran off, swearing revenge against me. Did you or did you not sleep with another man that night? Did you find someone to give you what you wanted?" His words were dripping with sarcasm.

Reba rolled her eyes at him. It was clear that their daughter inherited her smart mouth from both parents. She remembered how he shot his mouth off in high school all the time. She wiped away her tears, trying not to show any weaknesses. In reality, she was shaking on the inside. This was her most horrifying secret. She never wanted him to find out. She never wanted him to question John's paternity. She saw what was left of her family crumbling under the weight of the lie. Something compelled her to be honest. Before she knew it, she was making a tearful confession.

"Yeah, I did. But it doesn't change anything. It was one night. I was drunk and completely shattered on the inside. It doesn't change that first time before Vegas. That's when we first made love, creating something good, honest, and pure. There were plenty of times after that, too."

"How do you know?"

"How do I know what?"

"Don't play dumb, Sal. How do you know that the kid is mine?"

All the color rushed out of her face again. That one night was coming back to haunt her big time! "Don't you think that I would know such a thing!"

"All it takes is once, babe. You and I both know that."

Meanwhile, Brock had arrived at Holliway's. Paige filled him in on what had happened. He rushed upstairs to find out what was going on. He stood outside the door, listening to the heated discussion. He opened the unlocked door to the apartment. He walked over to stand in the bedroom doorway, watching his wife argue with her ex-husband.

"Does it matter? We have a family together, like it or not. I don't want to mess things up for the kids."

That's when Barbra Jean entered the apartment after watching Brock go up the stairs. She stood next to him, watching with vested interest.

"You slept with another man, and you lied to me about it. You've been lying all this time."

Tears are rolling down her face in a rush. "Kim cheated on you multiple times with your own brother. Barbra Jean got pregnant right after leaving you. How am I the scarlet one here? The other women in your life are way more deceitful."

"Barbra Jean wouldn't lie about something like that. I know that Henry is Brock's."

"Why? Because she's so perfect? Look at me. Really look at me. I have loved you more than anyone else."

"I want to believe you, Sal. But there's something that bugged me for years. I look at Kyra and I see us. I don't see that when I look at John. Maybe that's because he isn't mine. Wouldn't we be able to have a decent relationship if we really were father and son?"

Reba flew at him again, fists pummeling him. "I have loved you for 25 years. You said that we were a family and you would love all of my children as your own. You liar! You promised to love me forever, and you ran off with her. You'll take her words as gospel truth and not mine. We were supposed to grow old together!"

"Well, I'm lucky that I have a chance to do things right with BJ."

"Are you kiddin' me? Aren't you the same guy who wanted me to wait for ya until BJ popped the kid out?"

"BJ doesn't lie to me like you do."

"Is that so? Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. I'm not gonna be around to bother you anymore. I went out and got an upgrade on husbands." She held her ring finger with the new wedding ring up to his face. "By the way, he's even better in bed than you are!"

"Now, Reba, that's just cruel. There's no need to tell a tale like that just because you're a sore loser."

Reba turned her fury to Barbra Jean. "Thirty minutes ago, the man was telling me that he loved me. He wanted us to get back together after he was finished dealing with you. The ring is real. Brock and I got married. I'm Henry's new stepmother."

Barbra Jean turned to Brock. "Is this true?"

Brock walked over to Reba. He pulled her away from Mike and put his arms around her. "Yes, we're married and we intend to stay that way."

Mike glanced at the pair. "That's why Brock's name came out of your mouth the other night. He's the guy. You slept with him in Vegas, didn't you?"

At this point, Reba's defiance ran out. She was hurt, but she couldn't keep on fighting with the man. They were still a family. Part of her still loved him. She didn't know how to answer that. She couldn't remember who she slept with in Vegas, and she didn't want to lie about it.

Brock was ready to step up to the plate, and claim his rightful place in Reba's life. "Yeah, Mike. It's true. Reba and I were together in Vegas, and I'm not sorry about it. I love her and I'm proud to call John my son."

Reba looked at Barbra Jean, who was gleeful at the scene, before looking back at Mike. "You better get a paternity test done on that baby. You shouldn't trust her word any more than mine. How do we ever know that Henry is Brock's and not yours? You're gonna be sorry that you pushed this today. You should be lucky to have a son like John. You're the biggest mo-ron that I've ever met.

"Mom, what's going on? Is it true? Mike's not my real father?"

Reba was horrified to find her son standing there, listening to this. John turned and ran out, before she could say anything. It was all too much to bear. She became lightheaded and she slipped into the darkness right into Brock's arms.

Max arrived with Jake and Kyra about that time. Paige called an ambulance. Brock continued to hold onto Reba until the paramedics put her on the gurney. He rode with her in the ambulance.

Meanwhile, John was driving off in a burst of rage. He was angry with his mother for lying to him. He was also angry at Mike once again for breaking up Reba's marriage to Max. John had a dad who loved him. He didn't need Mike for a father. The rain was pouring down, and he took the turn on the curve too fast. His car spun out of control. Brock saw the car as he passed by with the ambulance. "Please stop. That's my son's car. This is his mother. He could be injured."

The ambulance driver stopped. John was unconscious behind the wheel. Brock worried about what would happen to Reba's blood pressure when she found out that John was hurt. The paramedics loaded John into the ambulance also. Brock pleaded with them to hurry to McAlester Regional Hospital. One tended to John's injuries, and the other tended to Reba. She still hadn't woken up.

Reba finally awoke in the hospital with Brock by her side. "Where am I?"

Brock's face lit up. He stood up and kissed her on the forehead. "You're in the hospital, honey. Your blood pressure got too high."

Before he could say anything else, the doctor walked into the room. "Hello, Mrs. Hart. I'm glad to seeing you awake. I need to talk with both of you about your son."

"What's wrong with my son?"

"Your husband found him with the ambulance after the crash. He's sustained numerous injuries. There's substantial damage to the liver. He needs a blood transfusion. He may even need a family member to donate part of their liver to help him. As you know, he has a very rare blood type."

"No problem, Doctor. My ex-husband, Max Thornton, will come in to donate his blood and be tested for a match on the liver."

The doctor walked away. Brock faced Reba with a look of disappoint in his eyes. "I can be tested for this."

"Look, Max and I have had to deal with medical issues like this before. Luckily, he has the same blood type as John."

"How long have you known?"

Reba hung her head down. "Since John was ten. He needed a blood transfusion. Mike and I weren't a match."

"I want to be tested, Reba."

"Why do you insist on this? Max and I can handle it."

"I don't want Max to handle it. John is my son. I will help my son."

"You knew, didn't you? You knew that I didn't remember that night. You knew that there was a chance that you were John's father. That's why you married me, isn't it? That's just great, Brock! Congratulations, it's a boy. Now, get out! Go get tested and see if you can save him. I don't want to see you for awhile."

"But Reba..."

"I mean it, Brock. Just get out!" Reba's usual strong demeanor gave way to sadness and tears.

Brock was torn between helping his wife and helping his son. He knew that Reba would be better off if he left the room, so he chose to get the testing to help John.

Reba turned to the wall and cried. She wondered if her marriage was real at all. She wondered if Brock had used her to get close to their son. She couldn't believe that she was married to a man who was the father of her son, and she still didn't remember sleeping with him in the first place. She hoped that Brock would be able to save their son...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

_Author's note: I will continue to write new chapter updates as often as possible. Thanks for being patient._

_No singing this time. Just plenty of drama. I hope that you like it._

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**Chatte578**

**Reba the country queen**

**Merylandrebafan**

**Dr. Michaela Quinn**

**WJC1985**

**nellieforbush**

**LittleMissCheerios**

**RMandMSFan**

**JericaMMADfan**

**RebaJunkie**

**TouchedbyanAngelFan**

**Dimples99**

**Lady Isabelle Black**

**Dimples73**

**Dimples37**

**SamandDianefan10**

**walk on**

**jessie 33**

**wildfirefanatic08**

**amber8611**

**Anonymous reviewers**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie****.**


	10. The Honeymoon's Over Or Now What?

**Title: It's a Wonderful Life**

**Chapter 10: The Honeymoon's Over Or Now What?**

**Time:**** December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**No copyright infringement intended.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

**Previously- **

Reba turned to the wall and cried. She wondered if her marriage was real at all. She wondered if Brock had used her to get close to their son. She couldn't believe that she was married to a man who was the father of her son, and she still didn't remember sleeping with him in the first place. She hoped that Brock would be able to save their son...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out! Keep reading to find out more!

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is "It's a Wonderful Life!"

**Now on with our next chapter-**

Brock tried to make his way down the hall. That's when Max Thornton found him. He'd already spoken to a very distraught Reba.

"I don't know whether to knock your lights out or thank you." Max eyed him with suspicion. He still took on the job of protecting Reba.

"I'd hope that you'd thank me. I'd prefer it if you didn't knock my lights out," he responded with a chuckle.

"You're a funny guy, Hart. Don't get me wrong. I'm really steamed about the way that you married Reba, but that doesn't matter now. I just want to thank you for forcing Reba out into the open. Mike and John are better off knowing the truth. He's a great kid. You're a lucky man."

Brock genuinely liked this guy. He seemed to be after what was best for the kids. He also really seemed to want Reba to be happy. "Hey, Reba has explained that she's worked out a family arrangement with you and Mike. I'm not here to disrupt that. I think that there ought to be room in their lives for all of us."

"Reba's not very happy right now. She's really upset about what happened with Mike. She's confused about that night in Vegas. She doesn't remember anything. She wonders why you came forward like this."

"I've loved her since the first moment that I laid eyes on her. I was stupid and foolish to let her get away. I married her because I love her. Even though I love her, I'm not the type to keep quiet about something so important. I don't want to lie to her or the kids."

"Actions speak louder than words with Reba. You're gonna have to get a paternity test done. She needs proof. Right now, we need to get tested to determine the best match to save John."

"I'm right behind ya." Brock followed Max down the hall to the lab.

The testing process was swift. Max got the doctor to order a paternity test, along with the other necessary tests. Just to prove a point, Max and Brock decided to have all three men tested. Knowing Reba, it would save everyone a lot of time and confusion. Max knew that Reba wasn't sure who she was with in Vegas. She often suspected him of being John's biological father, especially since he was so handy with John's medical issues. He just never had the heart to lie to her. Something told him that Brock was telling the truth. He didn't use the information to force Reba into anything.

Max just wished that he wouldn't have allowed himself to get in so deep with his feelings for Reba again. He knew how she felt when they started the affair. It wasn't her fault that she didn't fall in love with him again. He knew that Mike would come first. Max had to admire how Brock was handling the situation. He got Reba to marry him, instead of Mike. That was progress. The kids seemed to like him and accepted their mother's sudden marriage quite well.

The doctor came back with the news. Brock was a genetic match for his son. The surgery was scheduled for the next day. Brock would be donating part of his liver to save his son's life. Max paid for a rush on the paternity results. Brock now had those results in his hand. He was torn between going to see his son or his wife. With results in hand, he went to see his angry wife. He hadn't seen her in two whole days. He wanted to finally talk to her about their situation, facts in hand. The rest of the family was surprisingly cooperative about the situation. The kids spent time with their mother, singing Brock's praises to her.

John refused to discuss the paternity test until the results were back, but he at least agreed to see Brock in the meantime. That was something that Reba refused to do. Brock settled on safe topics of discussion. It was nice getting to know his son. It was a bittersweet moment because he knew that the dream would end soon. He'd be back to a reality where his son was dead. The possibility did exist that Reba could make different choices in 1983 that would save John's life. Brock shook with fear at the thought of Reba deciding to wipe out their entire life together just to be with Mike and John. Did he mean so little to her? What about Cheyenne, Kyra, Jake, and Elizabeth?

He loved John, too, but it was too big of a sacrifice to wipe out their entire family. He prayed for God's wisdom to help guide him through. He prayed that Reba would have another chance to be a mother to Maggie and John. He prayed for another chance to be her husband and their father. He ran his fingers through his hair and approached the room to Reba's hospital room.

He knocked on the door. He heard her softly answer with a gentle "come in." He slowly opened the door, poking his head in. "Even me?"

Reba nodded. Brock sat down in the chair beside the bed. Neither one of them knew how to break the silence. Finally, Brock cleared his throat.

"I have this for you." Brock handed her the paternity results.

"Well, you three were certainly thorough," she responded after glancing at it.

"We agreed that it was best for everything to be out in the open to avoid any confusion." Brock racked his fingers through his sandy locks.

Reba couldn't help but eye his actions with interest despite herself. She found the way that he did that quite endearing and attractive. She was really getting desperate. She had gone from having her needs met nightly to a complete dry spell, and she was a newlywed, for crying out loud. She didn't think that it was so wrong for her to want to know what it was like to make love to her husband. She had to remember that she was mad at him. He'd deceived her. He might even possibly be using her, but he was doing everything that he could to save their child's life. She kept watching him. She licked her lips. She was more interested in him than the paper in her hand.

Brock saw her staring at him. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Reba looked down at the paper again. "No, I'm fine. Wow, this was the last thing that I expected when I saw you four days ago."

"I can imagine. I was thinking about what Mike said. When I look at John, I do see both of us in him."

"Yeah, I noticed that yesterday when I visited him. I'm a little blown away. I have a child with a man and I don't remember doing...you know." Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"What?" Brock enjoyed watching her blush.

"Doing ring-a-ding. With you, that is. Do you remember?" Reba's voice stumbled over the words.

Brock chuckled. "Yeah, Sunshine. I remember every time."

Reba blushed again. "I'd like to try something if you don't mind." She held her hands out to him.

Brock scooted closer to her bed and put his hands in hers.

"Now, open your mind. I want you to remember things about us that I can't. Show me the things that I can't remember."

Brock did as she asked. He opened his mind and let a whirlwind of memories wash over him. Once he started, he couldn't stop. This Reba was treated to visions of memories that didn't make sense to her. She couldn't understand why so many memories flew at her. It was like they had been together for the entire 25 years since they first met. She didn't understand. She pulled her hands away from his. "What exactly are you showing me?"

Brock sighed, not quite knowing how to explain what just happened. "Have you seen the movie, The Family Man?"

"Yeah, I think that everyone wishes that they could see what life would be like if they'd make a different choice."

Brock looked deeply into her eyes and sighed. "That's what this is." Reba tried to pull her hands away from Brock's, but he wouldn't let her. "It's not that I have an overactive imagination. You asked me why I act the way I do. I love you, Reba. I always have. I've known you for the last 27 years. It's been my privilege to see your beautiful face every day for the last 24 years."

Reba rolled her eyes at him. "So, you're telling me that we're together in another life. What's this then? You wanted to know what would happen if you chose not to be with me? What happened to change your mind?"

Brock looked down. It wasn't the first time that he'd felt so ashamed of himself for his actions, and it wouldn't be the last. He was a fool to give up on his marriage. He lost the only woman that he truly loved and offered her up to his rival on a silver platter. He knew if he ended up losing Reba to Mike in December it would be his fault. "I live with you in another reality. In my reality, it's a lot like this one only some things are reversed. I'm your ex-husband. We have four children and two grandchildren together."

"Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake are yours?"

"Ours. Van and Cheyenne never got divorced. They have Elizabeth and a new baby boy. You never married Max. You wore yourself out, trying to provide for Paige and John. You gave birth prematurely. John didn't make it."

Reba's hands flew to her mouth. Tears filled her eyes. "No! I refuse to accept that!"

"Reba, I'm not telling you this to hurt you. You asked me for the truth. You kept your location a secret from everyone but Lori Ann. She finally revealed where you were when your health was in danger. I was there when John was born, and for the two days that he lived. We helped each other through losing him. We found our way to each other. You got pregnant with Cheyenne, and we got married. We moved to Houston."

"What happened? You said that things weren't much different for me in your other life. I had an affair with Mike still, didn't I?"

Brock's hand covered hers reassuringly. "You came back here to visit, but nothing happened. We've always had a passionate relationship. We never cheated on each other while we were together. Eventually, we stopped communicating. We got separated. I ended up with Barbra Jean. We got divorced. You've been back and forth between Mike and Max since then."

"Why are you here? Did you want to win me back?"

"Yes and no. I do want to win you back, but I'm here because I wanted to see what your life would be like if we'd never gotten married. You're getting ready to marry Mike. Apparently, you want to wipe out everything that we've shared because you believe that he's your destiny. You've never even considered the possibility that Mike might not be John's father in that other life. All of this happened because we are meant to be together. I didn't plan any of it. I just want the chance to be a better husband and father. Barbra Jean and I are divorced, and I've been working on winning you back ever since. You're just really stubborn."

Reba laughed sarcastically. "I'm stubborn. Look in the mirror. Don't they have paternity tests in that other world? Why aren't you staking your claim there?"

"It's complicated. I didn't want to push you. I don't want to lose you." Brock ran his fingers over her cheek.

"When do I lose you?" Reba said in a small voice.

"Huh?"

Reba rolled her eyes at him again. "When does this end for you? When do you have to go back to your world, you mo-ron?"

Brock chuckled. "Only you have the power to make that sound like a term of endearment. I love you, Red. I've never stopped. I think that I only have a day or so left. I feel like I might be out of this when John and I go into the surgery."

"That's not a whole lot of time. What happens to us after you wake up? Oh my god, John won't be there when you wake up."

"I know, but it's more important that I'm here with you right now. When I wake up, we're not together anymore."

"Do something about that, you mo-ron! You can't just give up." Reba slapped Brock on the back of the head.

"Don't you think I know that? We've got a chance to have John and Maggie all over again if we end up together."

"We lost another child?"

"Miscarriage. It happened while we were separated. You waited years to tell me about it. You wanted to name her Maggie."

"I know. That's what I wanted to name the baby I lost six years ago."

"See I told you. Same events, different husband. I wanted to find out if you and Mike were truly meant to be together."

"Obviously not. Does Barbra Jean want to be with Mike in that other life?"

"They just met, but there's an attraction there."

"Good, let's put our heads together and work out a plan. The only way that you have a shot at winning me back again is with my help. That sounds so weird. Anyway, let's talk things out."

Reba and Brock spent the rest several hours talking things out. It was the best communication that they'd shared since the early years in their marriage when their relationship was good. Brock was booked into a room for the surgery. Reba insisted on sharing a hospital room with her husband. Together, they worked out a plan for Brock to implement as soon as he got back to his own reality. Brock spent part of the night, lying with Reba wrapped in his arms in her bed. She finally got to share in their memories together.

The uncertain feelings weren't so strange to her anymore. She knew now that she loved him, but she understood why her other self would try to hide that away. She couldn't imagine losing him again. She understood why the other Reba would simply not take the risk. She, on the other hand, was happy that she took the risk. At least, she wasn't losing her husband to another woman. She was sending him back to fulfill their destiny. She was sending him back to save their son and daughter from never being born.

Brock, in the meantime, was afraid of telling her about their trip to 1983. He didn't want her to experience the heartache that he felt at the possibility of wiping their three other children from existence. She loved them. Would she even believe such a crazy tale? He'd already gotten plenty of help from her. He had help from John D and Terry. He knew that he could use his knowledge of the past to keep her from changing their history completely. His plan was simple.

All he had to do was keep her confused and distracted long enough to keep her from marrying Mike in Vegas. As long as the wedding doesn't happen, they return to their own time with their family intact. Well, not quite intact, there was still the matter of stopping her wedding to Mike in 2008. He took a deep breath. He had to concentrate on stopping one wedding at a time.

The kids arrived to see Reba and John first thing in the morning. Brock was in his bed when they arrived. Elizabeth ran up to Brock. "Grampy?"

"Yes, honey." His heart soared at hearing that from her again.

"The man in the corner said that you still need more help." Elizabeth pointed to the corner as she whispered in his ear.

Brock looked at where Elizabeth was pointing. Sure enough, John D was standing in the corner.

"You'll have to get one of the kids to help you. We'll have to send one of them back in time to help you."

Brock rubbed his hand over his face. "That's not going to work. She's going to figure out that I'm there with her. She won't let me near her after that." He kept his voice low so only Elizabeth and John D could hear him.

John D stood with Elizabeth. "She's pretending to be her teenage self, isn't she? She thinks that you are your teenage self. If you show up with one of the kids and introduce them as a relative, what can she say? It's certainly possible for you to have relatives that resemble your children. The perfect one for the job is Cheyenne. Reba will not be able to resist thinking of her. If she thinks about her, she's less likely to go down a road that wipes out Cheyenne's existence."

"I can help show you what to do," Elizabeth whispered. She stopped whispering and turned to her mother. "Look what I can do." Elizabeth changed her mother's hair color from red to blonde. "See."

"Elizabeth Montgomery, you change your mother's hair back right now!" Reba ordered.

"Sorry, Grandma. I just wanted to show Grampy my trick." Elizabeth reluctantly changed Cheyenne's hair back to its red color.

Reba looked at Brock. He was clearly amused by Elizabeth. Reba also had a soft spot for her little granddaughter. Brock held up his hands. "Don't look at me." Brock watched Elizabeth's actions with interest. A light bulb went off in his head. If they changed some of Cheyenne's features, then Reba would be more likely to accept her as one of Brock's relatives. That meant getting Grandma Cheyenne to help.

A nurse wheeled John into his parent's hospital room. "I wanted to see you to thank you for doing this."

"You're my son. I would do anything for you." Brock said, shaking his hand.

Reba watched the exchange between father and son with tears in her eyes. She felt the pain in knowing that Brock wouldn't see their son after this.

John approached his mother's bed. "It's okay, Ma. I'll be okay."

Reba pulled him into a tight hug. She couldn't bear the thought of John being dead. Brock watched her. He knew that it was hard on her to know that John was really dead and this was just a dream. He was glad that he spared her the rest. Brock was surprised when John hugged him. Brock burned this memory into his brain. He knew that someday Reba would want to share this with him.

"I'll be waiting for you after. Thanks for doing this. We've got a lot to catch up on," John said, before the nurse wheeled him out.

The nurse prepped Brock for surgery. Reba was in the room with him, waiting for him to be wheeled out to the OR. "If you don't stop fighting for me, we'll find our way back to each other. I promise. Save us, Brock. Go back and save our marriage. Please save our son. I love you." She gave him one last kiss on the lips before the nurse wheeled him out.

Brock woke up startled in the guest bedroom in Reba's parents' house. He was back in 1983. He had to figure out his next move. When would be the right time to pull Cheyenne into this? He put his hands behind his head and figured out a plan of action. He just hoped that Reba's ideas in the dream would work to win back her heart...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in chapter eight of Reba Nell Got Married!

_Author's note: This story is finally complete. I will work on Drop Dead Hero and Deceived before I post a new update for Reba Nell Got Married again. I hope that you enjoyed this story._

If anyone has any suggestions on my stories, then I'd love to hear them! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**Chatte578**

**Reba the country queen**

**Merylandrebafan**

**Dr. Michaela Quinn**

**WJC1985**

**nellieforbush**

**LittleMissCheerios**

**RMandMSFan**

**JericaMMADfan**

**RebaJunkie**

**TouchedbyanAngelFan**

**Dimples99**

**Lady Isabelle Black**

**Dimples73**

**Dimples37**

**SamandDianefan10**

**walk on**

**jessie 33**

**wildfirefanatic08**

**amber8611**

**Anonymous reviewers**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie****.**


End file.
